


Time Left to Heal

by twdteacakes



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Caring, Clouis, Drama, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Louisentine, Love, Older Clementine (Walking Dead)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:55:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 37,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23302753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twdteacakes/pseuds/twdteacakes
Summary: The past can be haunting. There are scars that cut deep. Thanks to Lily and her people, the children at the boarding school were wiped out, and Clementine lost her forever home. After such a huge massacre, only herself, AJ and Louis were left alive. Five years later, the trio are just trying to live a peaceful, carefree life. If only it were that simple.
Relationships: Clementine/Louis (Walking Dead: Done Running)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 69





	1. Desperation Among Survivors

**Author's Note:**

> A/N - Hi there. Been a while since I've posted anything, but it's good to be back. This idea has been brewing for a while, and actually writing it was a lengthy process. Five months of hard work. I'm so glad I can finally release it into the world. I cannot wait to show you the rest of the story that I wish to tell.
> 
> Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this. It means everything to me.

Dry, fragile blades of grass and knotted tree branches danced to the rhythm created by a soft, autumn breeze. This fleeting tranquillity was not destined to last, as Mother Nature built towards a huge, breathtaking crescendo. She demonstrated her strength, by whipping up a fierce gale, that sent the stubbornest of leaves - clinging to the vestige of summer - flying above the horizon, before it darted through the undergrowth. The howling wind drowned out the rustling brambles, the source of this minor disturbance being a small weasel, emerging from the darkest depths of the forest, after gorging himself on sweet, succulent berries.

The weasel's auburn fur was set ablaze in the dazzling light from the midday sun. He hopped through the grass, plant life tickling his underside as he descended a low, sloping hill. He then paused by a smooth, grey rock, which was positioned by a trickling stream. His nose twitched as he bowed his head, intending on quenching his thirst after a heavy meal.

It happened in an instant. The weasel's tongue hadn't even made contact with the water, when an arrow pierced through his stomach, decorating the rock he was now pinned to with blood.

"Nice shot!" Louis complimented, bubbling with enthusiasm, as a proud smile decorated his freckled cheeks.

Clementine lowered her bow, and carefully wrapped the string of her weapon around her torso, relieving herself from the burden of carrying it. She quickly traded a glance with her boyfriend, her lips turning up as she matched his gleeful expression. "Thanks."

The couple rose from their crouched positions, exited the bushes they had been hiding in, and approached the fresh catch. Louis picked up the arrow, stripped the weasel off the tip, and handed the ammo back to her. "Hmm, he's a little scrawny, don't you think?" He questioned, feeling the significant lack of weight in his hands. "Is this really going to be enough for tonight?"

Clementine crossed her arms and shrugged. The young man frowned at her dismissive behaviour, so she offered him a short, blunt statement as an alternative. "We'll make it work."

She left their conversation hanging like a loose thread, and tore her gaze away from Louis. In order to remain vigilant, her watchful amber eyes flickered across the tree line, almost expecting a rotting corpse to crawl out of the shadows, and begin pursuing them. However, no such threat arrived. Perhaps today was their lucky day.

"But Clem..." Louis began, his voice drawing back her attention. "There's no way this is going to feed three people."

The young woman heaved a deep sigh, and refused to enable his pessimistic droning with a response. Truth be told, she just didn't want to admit that he was right. She would give anything to be blissfully unaware of how hopeless their situation was. This sorry excuse for food was the only animal they had seen all day, after waking up at the crack of dawn, only to track and lose larger beasts for hours on end.

Clementine walked past him, in search of the beaten track they had followed to this general location. "Let's head back."

Louis momentarily stood frozen, and rubbed his temple in a vain attempt to lower his stress level. He then jogged to catch up, holding their evening meal by its tail. Noticing that she was troubled by his, albeit gloomy, demonstrations of concern, he opted to lighten the mood, hoping to get at least a chuckle, as well as lift his own spirits. "I guess you could say he didn't _weaselly_ recognise the danger he was in."

Clementine choked on a laugh "Oh- oh my god. That's your worst one yet."

He flashed her a toothy grin, pleased by his successful pun. "Funny, you always say my jokes are the worst, but you never stop laughing at them. I think somebody's trying to undermine my comedic genius."

"Shut up." She retorted through spluttering coughs, before striking his arm with a weak and playful punch. "Come on now, be serious. I need you to keep an eye on your side of the trail."

"You got it, boss." The young man replied with a mock salute.

Clementine rolled her eyes, but failed to hide the stupid smirk plastered on her face. She jerked her head away, wishing to avoid inflating his ego and confidence in terrible puns any further. _He's such an idiot. But he's my idiot._

She focused on their main mission; scouting. The return trip to their homestead could prove troublesome, since the blood leaking from the dead weasel was enough to entice at least one hungry walker. Her gaze drifted between the passing trees, searching for any traces of movement amongst the overgrown vegetation. She waited with bated breath for a low, guttural growl to meet her ears.

Mother Nature's fury had burnt out, causing the harsh wind to vanish. A deafening silence tightly gripped the bone chilling air. The heavy thud of their own footsteps didn't provide much comfort. She longed to hear a pleasing chirp from a mellifluous songbird, or the hammering of a woodpecker, trying to feast on slimy insects. Hell, she would gladly welcome an attack from the undead, if it prevented them from enduring another second of this maddening wait.

Moments such as this reminded them how dead the world truly was.

Clementine's heart throbbed, and she caught sight of Louis growing tense in her peripheral vision. His clenched fist shook, violent tremors overwhelming his body as he too meticulously combed their surroundings. The feeling of unease was palpable.

They fought the urge to run, but compromised by quickening their pace. Clementine reached into the pocket of her worn, sandy brown trousers. A calmness rippled through her entire being once her fingertips grazed the handle of her knife. Her other hand traced the string of her bow - plucking it like a musical instrument. She then glanced at the spiked chair leg strapped to Louis' back in a makeshift carrier. _You're okay. You're fine. You have weapons, if anything happens, you can manage. You've done this hundreds of times. You'll be fine._

A few agonising minutes passed. The glint of sunlight reflecting off broken glass caught her eye, allowing her to somewhat relax. A wooden structure, sitting beyond the dense trees, was visible - their destination finally within reach.

Ecstatic, Clementine turned to face Louis, who's thoughts still appeared to be plagued with doubt about the dead weasel and its ability to sustain his family. His sorrowful, earthy brown eyes stared blankly at the feeble creature - its limp body spilling over the palm of his hand.

 _All meat is good meat._ Her boyfriend had once said, when advocating for a baby rabbit to have its neck snapped. She debated about whether or not she should remind him of days gone by.

However, words began to roll off his tongue faster than her lips could part. "You know, Clem, this was your catch. If you want to split it between you and AJ, I don't mind going hungry." He locked eye contact - those two shimmering topazes portraying how resigned and content he was about his decision. There were even traces of happiness in his warm expression. She wondered how long he had been mulling it over - perhaps when he had first cradled their dinner in his arms?

"No way, we are not doing that." Clementine outright refused his proposal. "We'll make it work, you'll see. We have to." She added, her tone swimming with determination.

Disappointment swirled around the young man's dark irises as his shoulders sank. He seemed betrayed - hurt to an extent, that she hadn't accepted his offer. This clearly wasn't the outcome he hoped, nor mentally prepared for. "But-"

"No buts. It's not happening, end of story." She shut down his protests immediately. "Besides, you didn't have anything to eat yesterday either..." Her voice wavered off, whilst her amber eyes drifted along the outline of his physique. She had always envisioned that he would grow into his huge, leather coat, but instead... He had gradually shrunk. The thin, green flannel shirt he wore clung to his body, isolating his jagged ribs. They resembled fierce, sharp rocks - jutting out into the ocean, waiting to puncture and sink unlucky ships. She felt compelled to reach out to him, but feared she might draw blood through mere touch.

Clementine's heart sank to the floor, as a pang rattled through her chest. _Fuck... How did it get this bad?_

"We're here." Louis announced, as he fumbled one handed with his buttons and adjusted his coat, in order to conceal his skinny, malnourished frame from her prying eyes.

Despite his efforts to hide the issue, the traumatic image had already burned through her retinas and tattooed itself onto her brain. The young woman blinked rapidly and forced herself to look away.

 _Home sweet home._ She joked, as they left the twisted, monstrous shadows created by the overhanging trees in their tracks. After carefully stepping over their temporary alarm system - which was a long fishing wire, attached with empty cans, and looped around the edges of the clearing - they had officially arrived at the homestead. It wasn't much of a base; rather just a secluded, rustic, two storey log cabin. It had been someone's passion project, once upon a time - built completely by hand using nearby resources, with a collection of tree stumps being a huge indication. Unfortunately it had fallen into ruin thanks to the hardships of this changed world. There was no security to speak of, since looters had shattered the majority of its windows, leaving only a handful of fractured shards trapped in the frames. The front door was rotten, with one solitary, rusty, determined hinge keeping it from collapsing entirely. Poison ivy had claimed the building as its victim - that tangled mess of vines grew up to the brick layered chimney, and snaked into whatever cracks it could find.

Louis nudged her elbow and flicked his head towards the second floor window, which was relatively intact and open slightly ajar. A dark silhouette peered down at the couple from their high vantage point.

The figure waved. The two adults smiled and waved back, but it was a fruitless gesture, since the inhabitant had already dashed away.

Clementine heard her boyfriend chuckle to himself, while she walked inside, knowing that he would follow close behind. They had barely made it past the front door, when AJ came racing downstairs - his short, wavy dreadlocks bouncing with each thunderous step, unrestrained by Kenny's worn, orange hat. His unzipped, oversized, puffy green coat fluttered behind him like a cape, and showed off his yellow knitted jumper. Mahogany brown horses were frozen mid gallop and stitched into a neat pattern below the neckline.

"You're back!" A joyous cry erupted from the nine year old's throat, along with heavy pants and shallow intakes of breath, after over exerting himself. He eyed them both wearily and clutched the wooden banister so tightly she feared he might get splinters. "No bites?"

Clementine slipped into her role of protector with such fluid ease by partaking in their usual ritual. "We're all good, kiddo. No bites."

An invisible weight was lifted off the child's shoulders. The smile that had been fighting to take ownership of AJ's face won the battle, as a wave of relief washed over him. "That's great."

"How was watch duty?" She asked, treating him to a genuine smile of her own.

AJ fiddled with his closely guarded pistol before answering. "Boring."

 _Boring is a good thing._ She mused. "Haha, I take it you didn't see anything then?"

"No, well- just a walker. Its jaw was hanging off. It was pretty gross."

Louis' nose wrinkled in disgust, but his momentary grimace was short lived. Nowadays, encountering a walker at that stage of decay was common. "What did you do with it?" He questioned.

"Nothing. I let it walk back into the woods."

The young woman nodded approvingly "You made the right call. One walker isn't worth the trouble."

AJ's face beamed more intensely than the sun due to her high praise. "So, how did hunting go? Did you catch anything?"

"We caught this." Louis stated, producing the weasel from behind his back. "You should have seen it, little man. Not only did Clem line up the perfect shot, but she nailed it too."

"Yeah, but I never would have spotted it if it wasn't for Lou's eagle eye." She piped up, giving credit where credit was due.

"True, true. BUT THEN, on the way back, we were attacked by a HUGE bear! He tried to take a chunk out of Clem, so I wrestled him to the ground using my brute strength. He knew he didn't stand a chance once he saw my insane muscles, and ran off with his tail between his legs." Louis boasted, fully invested in his own elaborate tale.

The young boy's chestnut brown eyes sparkled with amazement, as his imagination ran wild. "Wow." He gawked. "What is that, anyway? A stoat?"

Louis sported a devious grin. AJ had walked directly into his trap. "No, this is a weasel. It's _stoatally_ different."

Clementine audibly groaned, to conceal the laugh that was bubbling to the surface. "Oh my god, Louis, please stop." She begged.

AJ giggled, but she doubted that he fully understood the joke. She was quick to warn him before he made the same mistake she did time and time again. "Don't encourage him."

After falling quiet, the young boy began chewing his cracked lips, and studied the dead creature for a few seconds, whilst the cogs whirled inside his head. "Are weasels normally that small?"

 _It's that obvious? Even to AJ?_ She wondered - traces of sorrow stitched across her arched brow. "No. I think this one might be a runt." She answered honestly. "I know he's not much to look at, but don't worry, Chef Louis here is going to make the tastiest stew you've ever had."

Louis chimed in with a hum of agreement, before divulging his next task. "Well, I guess that's my cue. I'm going to head out back, get the fire going and start skinning this thing. Shout me if you need anything."

Clementine nodded "We will. Make sure you do the same."

He treated her to a pleasant smile - to confirm he got the message - before addressing AJ in particular "Catch you later, little man." He said, firing off a couple of pretend bullets from his finger guns as he walked off.

She watched her boyfriend exit through the back door, which was in far better condition compared to the front entrance, before turning her attention back to AJ.

"I'm gonna head back upstairs." He stated.

"Alright, kiddo. One of us will switch watch duty with you after dinner."

"No that's okay, Clem, I don't mind doing it until bedtime."

She raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I thought you said it was boring?"

"It's suuuuper boring, but... I kind of like it that way. It's nice, y'know, when nothing's happening. Peaceful. And it gives me time to catch up on my reading." He explained.

"I see. I'm glad you can put a positive spin on it. Just make sure you don't get too distracted by your books." She warned, before playfully messing with his hat.

"I won't, I promise." AJ replied, whilst he adjusted his hat and retreated up the creaky steps. "See ya."

"Bye, goofball. I'll let you know when dinner's ready!" She called after him, as he disappeared from sight.

Left to her own devices, Clementine ditched her bow, and wandered through the open plan house, bypassing the living room and reaching the kitchen in a matter of seconds. She eyed the ancient, broken stove with contempt - annoyed that Louis had to do all the cooking outside. She then shrugged off her navy blue body warmer, and draped it over one of the dining chairs.

"For fucks sake." She muttered under her breath, after catching a glimpse of her torn sleeve. _Must have snagged it on a tree branch._ She peeled off her ebony black hoodie and stripped down to her under layer, which was a plain white blouse. Thankfully, it had been spared from the wrath of the forest.

She threw her hoodie over her shoulder, and retrieved her backpack from the pile in the corner. She then fished out a sewing kit and loose patches of cloth, before vacating to the living room.

Crisp, charred logs sat in the disused fireplace. The chimney shaft was clogged with soot and dead leaves, making it an unreliable heat source. Clementine had found that out the hard way on their first day. They were almost smothered to death by the smoke that flooded the entire building.

She traded a glance with the stuffed animal heads displayed on the walls. A stag, boar, and coyote. Their glassy eyes pierced her soul, while their mouths hung open in a silent scream. Frozen in a moment of pure anguish. These dust peppered trophies gnawed at the back of her brain, reminding her of the animal skulls she once decorated her room with.

That was a lifetime ago.

She slumped down on the velvet sofa, and laid the hoodie over her knees. Her lips curled into a fond smile, as she traced the white, printed musical notes that floated up from the waist and across to the right shoulder. Fond memories of goofing around in an abandoned shopping mall began to resurface, when she noticed the brim of her signature hat in her eye line. _May as well take a look at you while I'm at it._ Clementine thought, before removing the purple hat from her head.

Sorrow flitted across her expression when she saw the poor condition it was in. The D logo was lopsided after it had fallen off and been glued back on incorrectly. The hole at the front had grown wider, irreversible blood stains coated the white material, sections had been replaced entirely with alien fabric, and loose threads hung from stretched areas. Her father's beloved hat was falling apart at the seams. She half expected it to crumble right then and there.

She heaved a deep sigh and ran her fingers through her short hair - the absence of her side swept ponytail barely noticeable. _I can fix it. I can fix it._ _ **I can fix it.**_

Clementine's eyes strayed away from her hat, and focused on the window. She caught a glimpse of Louis' long, wavy dreadlocks, tied up in their usual messy head bun. _I wonder if his coat needs patching up too._

She hopped off the sofa and glided across the rotten floorboards as she headed for the back door. The loose hinges squeaked and the aged wood groaned with effort as she pushed through into the outside world.

Golden sunlight was bleeding from the evening sky, allowing the crescent moon to arrive early and take ownership, bringing forth darkness, as they marched onwards into twilight. At this time of year, the days seemed to pass by like a hazy blur - trickling away faster than sand in an hourglass. To add insult to injury, the temperature had dropped significantly as well. Louis was sat on a bench, tuning his salvaged guitar, while the weasel stew bubbled, and hot flames lapped around the metal pot. She watched the trail of grey smoke rise - becoming lost in the cotton candy clouds - and grimaced at the thought of another survivor spotting their camp.

They would have to be prepared if such a raid occurred. The young woman did a quick sweep of the area for her boyfriend's weapon, since he was no longer closely guarding it. Chairles Junior was incredibly easy to locate, since he stuck out like a sore thumb, and was propped up against the cabin's outer wall. Chairles Senior, god rest his soul, had broken- sorry, 'died' in tragic circumstances two, almost three years ago. That poor old fellow didn't have long left to live when the first cracks started to appear. Louis had tried to patch up his dear friend with duct tape and nails. When that didn't work, he applied more duct tape and more nails. His attempts to save Chairles Senior only prolonged the inevitable. Eventually, the fateful day arrived, when a chunk of him snapped off. But at least he 'died' doing what he loved - cracking a walker's skull open. Clementine couldn't help feeling amused by how Louis got so dramatically choked up every time that inanimate object was mentioned.

"Fuck." Louis cursed, which pulled Clementine out of her trance. She faced him once more, and saw the look of contempt flash across his usually calm expression.

"Having some trouble?" She asked, choosing to approach the subject delicately, since she could see the mounting anger simmering off his body.

"You could say that." He muttered, his voice low and plagued with bitterness. "God, this piece of shit is fucking useless. I could make a better guitar out of cardboard and rubber bands."

She offered him a hopeful reply. "I'm sure you'll get it working eventually."

"Yeah, _eventually_." Louis droned. He then slammed the guitar down with more force than necessary. That impulsive act of frustration would likely come back to haunt him. However, she couldn't blame him for his rash actions. It was bound to be annoying - trying to keep music in their lives, while his guitar refused to cooperate. She couldn't remember the last time it was in tune.

Louis exhaled softly, any remnants of his anger escaping into the freezing autumn air. He stared passed Clementine, at something within the cabin. She knew what he was looking at, without having to steal a glance. There was a small, rosewood piano tucked into the corner by the fireplace, visible from the window. Whoever lived here before was a professional musician - she had seen the certificates plastered everywhere. She liked to think the previous residents had been an old couple, in their late forties or early fifties perhaps. The husband wanted to hunt game, while the wife wanted to stay behind, and play soothing music until his glorious return.

Louis had begged her incessantly to let him play on that piano. She was wracked with guilt for not allowing him, but... That kind of noise just wasn't worth the risk.

The young man slicked back a few loose dreadlocks, before clearing his throat. His eyes fixated on her, lips twitching as he forced a half-hearted smile. "So what can I do for you, my darling?"

She giggled at his cute pet name. "I was going to give my hoodie and hat some TLC, and thought your raggedy old coat might be in need of some dire repairs."

A mixture of confusion and concern darted across his furrowed brow. "Your hoodie? Why, what's wrong with it?"

"The sleeve was ripped. No idea how it happened but it's nothing I can't handle." She replied.

"And what about your hat?" He quizzed.

The young woman answered through a sigh. "Business as usual."

Unsurprised, Louis turned to the fire pit, and prodded the burning fuel with a narrow stick. "You know, sooner or later, no amount of glue and stitches will be able to keep that thing together. It's not even made out of its original material anymore."

"You're one to talk. You've been wearing the same outfit since I met you, no matter what condition it's in." Clementine scoffed.

"Hey! I started wearing this shirt, didn't I?" He rebutted, tossing away the branch and pinching his green checkered shirt as a demonstration of protest.

Her hands resided on her hips as she shifted the weight of her foot and gave him an unimpressed look. "After I forced you."

He then gestured at his hiking boots. "I changed my shoes!"

"Because they were completely ruined."

"I've got this new scarf." He added, tugging at the aforementioned red scarf, that was wrapped loosely around his neck.

"You thought it was stylish."

"Alright, fine. I never said I wasn't a hypocrite." Louis admitted defeat, wiping the smile from his face. "Look, Clem, I just don't want to see you upset. We both know that hat's days are numbered. Eventually, you're gonna have to let go."

"I know. It just means a lot to me, that's all. It's the only thing I have left of my dad..." Clementine's gaze drifted towards the dancing orange flames - the reality of the situation finally sinking in. "Plus, it'll feel weird, not having something on my head."

"Yeah, seeing you without it will definitely look weird too." He nodded in agreement. Realising how distressed she was about losing such a personal and sentimental item, Louis was quick to come up with a solution. "Tell you what, how about I get you a new hat? A nice purple one. Then you can keep your old one in your bag and won't have to worry about it getting damaged."

Her face brightened up at his suggestion. "Aw, Louis, that's so sweet of you. But I think I'd prefer a pink one."

"Pink? Why?" He asked, bewildered and slightly amused.

"It'll be a good change of pace?" She responded with a cartoonish shrug, while her voice fluctuated in pitch, revealing how unconvinced she was by her own words. _It was supposed to be a joke, but there's no point telling him that now._ She doubted he would be able to follow through with his offer, no matter what colour she wanted, and the absurdity of a pink hat made her laugh internally.

"Alright. I'll get you the brightest, prettiest, pinkest hat I can find. Call it a late birthday gift."

She chuckled lightly. _You won't find one. Not in a million years._ "Speaking of birthdays, AJ's is coming up soon."

She wasn't aware of the exact day. She just knew it was not long after her own.

"I remember. We'll have to see if we can find him a present on our next supply run."

"Definitely." Clementine bobbed her head in agreement. "So do you want me to fix your coat or not?" She then asked, shifting their conversation back to its original topic.

"Oh, right, um... Yes please." He replied, before standing up, albeit hesitantly, and peeling off his coat.

While her boyfriend handed the item of clothing to her, and busied himself with dinner preparations, she eyed the glock protruding from his waistband. A desperate attempt to not observe his visibly starved body. But this issue proved harder to ignore when he was so exposed.

 _ **Stop. Don't look.**_ A quiet voice barked orders. _**You don't want to see this.**_

She did not heed the warnings. One glance was all it took to shake her world at its foundations.

Louis was wasting away.

Near enough skin and bones.

She wiped her eyes, banishing frustrated tears. Swallowed hard, to combat the lump in her throat. She then refocused on his gun, hoping to clear her mind of murky thoughts.

The cold instrument of death pressed against his rocky spine lacked bullets. At the moment, it was nothing more than a glorified paperweight, not to mention extra baggage. Clementine longed for the bygone days when they had ammo to spare. Training him to use a gun had been a tiresome process, which dragged on for days- weeks even, but he improved enormously. She just wished he had more chances to prove how good he was in a firefight.

She draped the coat over her arm, and traded another glance with the weasel stew, which her boyfriend absentmindedly stirred. "How's dinner coming along?"

"Terrible. The meat I got from that weasel barely covered the bottom of the pot." Louis answered, but did not face her. He discarded the spoon and pinched his nose. "I miss Omar. I wish he was here. He'd know how to make this meal last more than a day. He'd know how to utilise every scrap of food, so that nothing would go to waste..." He paused, a deep sigh rattling through his chest. "He'd actually make it taste good too."

Clementine was reeling from the shock of hearing Omar's name - her vocal cords became fried and unable to produce any words of comfort.

His voice was hollow as he continued to speak. "It's funny. I spent so much time watching him cook, but... I never really learnt anything. I was always miles away, trying to remember a song or coming up with my own. Wishing I was back in the piano room, or hell- anywhere less boring. Makes you wonder why I even bothered to stand there when all I did was tell stupid jokes. I should have paid more attention."

"Well, I know one thing." She croaked out. After making a swift recovery, Clementine paused deliberately, hoping to get his attention. It worked like a charm, and he took the bait, eyeing her with curiosity. "You're a better cook than me."

The resemblance of a laugh escaped him. "Not by much."

 _He hasn't mentioned the other Ericson kids in months. Why now?_ Clementine wondered. She was about to ask, but Louis already had a question of his own.

"Are we still planning on leaving tomorrow?" By 'we', he meant 'you'. Louis lacked initiative, he wasn't the leader type. Rather, he was a follower who preferred to execute Clementine's every command, beck and call like a loyal dog.

"Yeah. We've been hanging around here for a week, which is more than enough time for me. And there isn't exactly much left in this area that's worth staying for." She elaborated, while gesturing with a sweep of her hand at the empty, withering forest.

Louis appeared slightly unnerved as he eyed the cracked, foreboding, skeletal trees. "Where are we headed?"

Her mind wandered back to their forever faithful and reliable map, which currently resided in her bag. It had been acting as the trio's guide for quite some time. "That town seems like our best bet. If we keep following the road, then we're bound to run into it eventually. It might take a while though, especially on foot."

His brow furrowed at one particular thought, which soon spilt from his lips. "AJ's not going to be very happy about that."

"I know, but our methods of transport are pretty limited. We either walk or... we sit around and wait to die. Can't do much better than that. Besides, it's not like a car is going to magically fall out of the sky."

"Haha, I wish." Louis said through a chuckle. His jovial response was short lived, and his laughter died prematurely. He then hesitated for a moment, before meeting her gaze in a rather sheepish manner, as if he dare not press the subject. "So... Is our endgame still the same?"

A determined nod served as confirmation. "Ever since AJ started to take more of an interest in reading, he's been fascinated by the ocean. I've caught him looking at holiday brochures, filled with pictures of tropical beaches. He's never seen it for himself, and that alone breaks my heart. AJ has so many hopes and dreams, and... Getting to the coast is one of them. I've wanted to take him for so long, and now... There's finally nothing standing in our way. I'd like to make it there before the end of the year." Feeling perplexed, she was then quick to question him after her heartfelt speech. "What's going on, Louis? You already know all this. Why do you need to ask?"

"Well, I-" He paused - jaw becoming clenched, posture tightly wound. He was dodging her watchful eyes yet again, as if Medusa had leapt from the pages of mythology, to freeze his aching bones, and convert his flesh into solid stone. "-I've been thinking lately."

"What about?" Clementine pried, whilst tilting her head in an attempt to catch his eye. She failed, but at least Louis didn't retreat further into his shell - a habit she had experienced regularly in the past.

His gaze retreated to the heavens - longing for that red, hazy, mystic sky to provide him with motivation. Or a strong willpower. Or a backbone. Anything. Whether to pre-emptively shield himself from backlash, or take a firm stance, he folded his arms and presented his case. "This plan is half baked at best. Has been since the beginning. Trust me, I want to make AJ's dream come true just as much as you do, but fulfilling some bucket list isn't going to keep us alive. And I know that was my idea, to give our lives some sort of meaning, but don't you think we need a bigger end goal? We get to the coast, we play around in the sand for an hour, but what happens after that? We march off to someplace different? Pursue another pipe dream?"

She felt a spark of annoyance, for being challenged on something that, not only had they discussed numerous times, but also agreed on, AND made enormous strides towards. She tried her best to squash negative and rash emotions, and answer him calm and factually. "We head south, to Mexico. Maybe we'll even go beyond that."

"And then what? We wander around aimlessly in South America instead?" Louis huffed, his stress level peaking. Any minute now, he was going to start sprouting grey hairs. However, his tone crossed over into mocking territory. That, combined with her underlying doubts, was a recipe for disaster, causing their conversation to descend a slippery slope, and from there, a heated argument became unavoidable.

"I don't know, Louis! What do you want me to say?!" She retaliated, previously bottled up feelings erupting from the depths of her core like a fiery volcano.

"That we'll settle down somewhere and live our lives! Join a community or better yet, start our own! Anything but starving to death in the middle of nowhere, in a country we've never been to before." He shot back, dark eyes burning with spirit and intensity, while frustration became etched into every contour line of his face. However, his overall expression was an odd mixture of a deer caught in headlights, and a bullfighter preparing to tussle with a raging beast. Two very different sides to the same coin.

Now aware of his main concerns, but still seething, Clementine uttered her next few words very carefully through gritted teeth. "That's not going to happen. We're not going to find somewhere like the school. All the big communities are too busy fighting over scraps to care about people like us. I'm not getting dragged into another war." _The thought of it makes me sick._

Loose dreadlocks swayed as Louis shook his head, before kicking up a few dying embers and slumping down on the bench. "We should have stayed put at your old house. We had a good thing going there." He muttered, his tone swimming in a bitter, poisonous cesspool.

"That was a temporary solution to an ongoing problem. We weren't living there, we definitely weren't thriving either. We were in _hiding_." She argued, brushing off the fact that he didn't address her statement. The young woman then clenched her fists, as sweat dripped from her palms. "And 'a good thing'? Are you kidding me? Your vegetable garden was failing!"

"If you had just let me try, I could have salvaged something." He muttered, sounding less bitter and more... hurt.

"Or died trying. We would have ran out of food by the time that soil started yielding anything worthwhile."

"You don't know that." He said in defiance, although he seemed unconvinced, judging by how quiet his voice had become.

"Neither do you!"

"Well it hasn't exactly been any better out on the road. You dragging us in every possible direction, it's enough to drive anyone crazy!"

"So it's my fault now, is it?" Clementine questioned, her anger resurfacing as the ancient and primal beast rattled in its cage. "Funny, because I remember all three of us agreeing that moving on was the right call!"

"I never said it was your-" Louis began, hoping to extinguish her rage.

It was a poor attempt. "If you have such a big issue with my ideas, then why don't you make a few suggestions, huh?" She chastised him. "Go on. I'm all ears."

"I've made plenty. You just refuse to listen." He claimed, proceeding to bow his head, almost as if he wanted to wash his hands of the whole affair.

After the raging storm within her died, and she could see passed her fury, it began to dawn on her how deeply troubled Louis was. Despite this, she felt betrayed by his accusation, and sought to dig up those seeds of planted doubt. "That's not true. You think I want any of this? You think I don't want to settle down? I would love to find a community that's safe and secure and peaceful. So that AJ could read and play all day, and go to bed with a full stomach, and sleep without a gun under his pillow. But this world is dying. People- good people, that were trying to make the best out of a shitty situation, are GONE. Wellington is gone. Richmond is gone. Ericson's is gone. People like Lily and the Delta... Are the only ones left alive."

Silence rippled through the frost bitten air, as Louis struggled with his inner turmoil. He stared at the ground, or perhaps at his dangling, untied boot laces, practically transfixed. He then rubbed his temple and buried his face in his palms - hiding from the nasty, hateful feud, born from his insecurities and anxiety. Was it comforting behind those big, hard working hands? In darkness, did it all make sense?

A light, early winter breeze picked up, and whipped past her, scattering leaves, threatening to snuff out the fire, and chilling Clementine to the bone.

"We can't carry on like this." He muttered in a hoarse whisper. His voice was so inaudible, she couldn't tell if he was even speaking to her anymore. Perhaps it was the dying moan from a broken man - words to numb the pain and defeat, or soothing whispers to appease his vanishing hope, which slipped from his white knuckled grasp, as he tried so desperately to cling on.

Faith in a better life. Faith in a more giving world. Faith in seeing another dawn.

Despite the uncertainty, she still responded. "We don't have a choice. We stick to our routine. We survive. That's all we can do."

* * *

A light drizzle floated down from the heavens. Along with it came a harsh wind, which jerked their alarm system, and put her on edge. The dusk sky - a perfect canvas - once decorated by splashes of orange, pink and purple, was now painted over with a sea of dull grey. These were all early signs of an incoming rainstorm, Clementine suspected.

She was making the finishing touches to her ripped sleeve, when Louis entered through the back door, dripping wet and shivering. She had repaired his coat first, hoping to spare him from the cruel weather, but alas, her loving efforts were wasted. It was quite remarkable how tiny droplets of water could soak someone so quickly. However, Louis being in such a sorry state wasn't to be marvelled at. The young woman watched silently, as her boyfriend lifted a shaking hand and removed the hair tie, unleashing his dreadlocks so that he could wring them out. His teeth chattered and her heart sank. _If only the damn chimney wasn't clogged._

After creating a puddle on the floor, Louis attempted to tame the wild bird's nest. During this gruelling task, he not-so-subtly cleared his throat, hoping to break the awkward tension which surrounded the duo. "Stew's done." He declared. His tone was dry with no hint of emotion and his skittish gaze avoided her entirely. Instead, those dark eyes traced the outline of the dining table, along with the melted candles resting atop it.

"Great. I'll go get AJ while you start dishing up." Clementine responded, offering him a gentle smile, which he did not mirror.

The young man finally returned his hair to its original messy but convenient state. He proceeded to nod slowly, in an almost robotic fashion, before drifting outside.

Wishing to forget that dreadful encounter, Clementine busied herself with her current objective - which was tightening the loose thread and detaching it from the needle - returning her hoodie to its former glory. She briefly admired her handiwork before tidying away her sewing kit, and slipping the item of clothing on. She then placed her repaired hat securely on her head.

With her job completed, she ventured over to the foot of the staircase, and called out. "AJ! Dinner's ready! So put down that book and come get some while it's piping hot!"

_That always gets him moving. He hates cold stew._

"Coming!" AJ shouted back in a hurried manner. Heavy footsteps caused the ceiling to tremble and dust to shake loose. Clementine had barely covered any distance when the young boy appeared, skipping a few steps on his mad crusade to reach the kitchen table first. As soon as his feet made contact with the ground floor, he bolted past her and jumped into his designated seat.

Louis was already there, scraping every last morsel from the pot into three chipped bowls. AJ watched intently, his eyes burning with hunger, while his stomach growled ferociously.

As the young man slid AJ his share, she noticed immediately that her boyfriend had given him a larger portion, but avoided commenting on it. However, when she received her own, the urge to speak grew. The size of her meal, compared to what Louis had given himself, was like chalk and cheese.

She was flabbergasted that he thought he could slip under her radar. After all they had talked about... He was still trying to give her and AJ more food. Food that he NEEDED.

Confrontation would likely cause him to shutdown, or worse - another argument could ensue, so she opted with an alternative, subtle approach. "Lou..."

He responded with a loud hum, to indicate he was listening, since he was busy pulling up a chair.

"I heard the alarm going off earlier. It was probably just the wind, but... Would you mind checking it out for me?"

"But- but I just sat down." Louis whined.

"Please?" Clementine kept pushing, whilst giving him her best puppy dog eyes. "It doesn't have to be a thorough search. If you take a quick look outside, then it will make me feel a whole lot better."

"Fine. I'll be back in a sec." He said through a long sigh, before rising from his seated position and exiting the cabin, on a quest to find the boogeyman.

As soon as he was out of sight, Clementine seized the opportunity and traded her full, uneaten bowl of stew with his measly helping.

AJ observed the spectacle, completely dumbfounded. "What are you-"

She cut him off with a quick shush.

With his curiosity squished like a colony of ants, the young boy returned his attention to his meal, and began scooping up huge mouthfuls with his spoon.

Louis returned moments later, shaken by the chill. "There's nothing out there." He declared, much to everyone's relief. But he cottoned on to his girlfriend's scheme once he sat down again. "Clem, did you switch our..."

She gave him an intense stare, which roughly translated to; _Don't even start. Just eat your dinner._

Despite his initial reaction being terror, her sweet, kind gesture managed to coax a shy smile out of hiding. "...Nevermind. Thank you."

Clementine acknowledged his gratitude with a brief nod, before glancing at AJ, who was wolfing down his stew. "So, kiddo, seen anything else during watch duty?" She asked, itching to engage in a polite, casual conversation.

"No, nothing." He replied, his voice muffled by the food stashed in his chubby cheeks. The resemblance to a chipmunk was uncanny.

Her mouth went slack jawed, forming a perfect 'O' shape. "Not even a wood troll?" She questioned in a surprised, playful tone. The image of a stubby, moss green creature, with a bulbous nose and thin, wiry black hair, covered in disgusting warts, danced around inside her head. She could guarantee AJ was picturing the same exact thing.

This earned a giggle and toothy grin from the young boy. "Hehe, nope."

"What about a sleepy rock giant?" Louis chimed in. He was always on the same wavelength when it came to silly, made up bullshit. It was one of the many things she loved about him.

Clementine was eager to make another addition. "Or- or a couple of mischievous fairies?"

The trio soon lost themselves in a fantasy realm, imagining a ginormous titan, with skin as rough and hard as a boulder, and an entire ecosystem thriving on his back, whilst he slept peacefully. This ancient rock monster had a snore so loud it could crack the walls and uproot trees. And then there were the fairies, with tiny, shimmering butterfly wings and clothes crafted from vibrant flowers, who travelled across sunbeams and hid amongst red toadstools - decorated with white splotches - testing their magic on unsuspecting victims.

They were so in sync, they could probably magic these mythical beings into existence through sheer willpower.

"None of those either." AJ said, almost sounding disappointed. "I did see a squirrel though. And a couple of birds."

Louis scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Of course all the animals come out to play after we've been hunting."

She ignored her boyfriend's comment and continued to focus on AJ. "So whatcha been up to then?"

"Reading." He offered her a short, simple reply.

 _Shocker._ "Oh yeah, like what?"

"The Neverending Story."

"Wow, cool!" A period of silence followed, as she waited patiently for him to slip into his usual routine, where he would breathlessly recap the entire plot. However, he made no attempt to do so, and was more content swirling his spoon around the edge of his bowl. This was extremely out of character, but she couldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. _Maybe he just doesn't feel like it tonight. After all, kids will be kids._ She rationalised. At the end of the day, keeping AJ in the loop was more important than his reading activities. "Hey, um... Sorry to have to bore you now, kiddo, but I need to give you a basic rundown of the plan."

"Ugh, I knew this was coming." The young boy groaned, disgust overwhelming his soft features.

"I know it's a pain, but I won't take long. Promise." But her reassurance wasn't enough to stop the fun atmosphere from deflating like a ripped balloon.

AJ sighed, and then gulped down another large spoonful of stew before replying. "Alright. I'm listening."

"Ok, so, first things first, we're all having an early night, and I need you to start packing away all your stuff after dinner." Clementine informed him.

"Can I leave my books out?"

"No, sorry, buddy. Like I said, we're having an early night, you won't have any time to read."

"Oh... Ok." He murmured, failing to hide his disappointment. "Where are we heading tomorrow?"

"Do you remember the map we found in that old tourist trap?" She asked, before reminding herself that she needed to eat too, since she had barely scratched the surface of her food. _Come on, Clem, you know how to multitask._

AJ quietly nodded in response.

She was smiling even before she could give him the good news. "Well, there's a town nearby that looks pretty promising."

"Do you think there'll be any food?"

"I'm not sure, but I hope so." She replied, her answer oozing with sincerity. "Scavengers have probably run through there before, but people like that only take stuff that's easy to grab, so they can make a quick getaway. But if we take our time, and have a good look around, then I'm sure we'll find something."

Another question popped into AJ's head, and slipped off his tongue instantly. "How long will it take to get there?"

A hush fell over the room. This was the tricky part - travelling was the bane of his existence, and their next few words could make or break whatever goodwill he had left. Well, at least for the rest of the evening.

 _The rain is starting to come down hard._ Clementine noted, briefly distracted by the pounding on the roof, since it was getting harder and harder to ignore. _I hope this storm passes soon._

Louis spoke up. "I won't lie to you, bud. It's going to be at least a day's hike. That's what the early night is for, so you're not crabby in the morning."

"I don't get crabby." AJ claimed, after he folded his arms and pouted.

"Sure you don't." He teased, whilst failing to stifle a chuckle.

Clementine interjected with one last nugget of information. "We leave at dawn."

"Alright." The young boy huffed. His spoon clattered as he discarded the piece of silverware in his empty bowl. "I'm done."

"Already?" She blurted out in astonishment. She didn't have much to begin with, but she was still nowhere near finished. Neither was Louis. "You must have been hungry!"

"Yep." He muttered in a dry tone.

Clementine's heart sank. _Is there any more?_ She recalled him asking, time and time again. That question bounced around inside her head like a ping-pong ball, before vanishing into a deep, forgotten chasm, where other memories dwelled. Instead of that gleeful chirp, all she received now was a joyless stare. After months- years of never having enough food, to so much as relieve their appetites, AJ had learned not to ask. And that alone almost brought her to tears.

She blinked rapidly and gently ushered him towards his next task. "Well, you know what you have to do now, mister."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it." He grumbled, hopping off his chair, and shuffling out of the room.

After watching him go, she swiftly wrapped up with her meal. There was no point in dilly dallying, and Louis shared this mentality. There was a flurry of movement, their spoons glinted in the candlelight, as metal clashed against porcelain, and teeth chomped on boiled weasel. From an onlooker perspective, they appeared to be competing in an eating contest.

"That went better than expected." Louis commented after taking his last bite. A moment of pause followed before he rose, his chair squeaking obnoxiously.

"I suppose." She spoke without thought, as her mind was still ensnared, spiralling deeper into the abyss. _What if I'm grasping at straws? What if there's nothing in that town?_

A slight tremor overcame Clementine's body as she gathered their used cutlery and bowls, and dumped them on the mountain of dishes stacked in the sink. She eyed the structure's base, where mould sprouted from tiny, unconsumed scraps.

The image of Louis' malnourished frame flashed across her vision. _If the plan doesn't work out, then how much longer can we go on for?_

She rested her hands on the kitchen counter, using it like a crutch as a frothy, white wave crashed on top of her. Once submerged, today's events pulled her down like heavy metals chains. She became lost in the darkest depths of the ocean, where hopelessness and despair lurked, in the form of unsightly creatures, that had adapted to the crushing void.

Louis stood to one side, his hands buried deep in his pockets, as he stared vacantly at a broken light fixture. A black, suffocating aura hung over him too - Clementine swore she could see shapes twisting and convulsing around his outline. He was despondent and in no position to check on her, even if it was just a quiet, feeble 'Are you alright?'

It didn't matter. She didn't expect him to be her comforter. They both knew it wouldn't help anyway. All she needed was a minute of peace. And space. That was the most important part.

After the monstrous sea calmed, and her legs no longer threatened to buckle, Clementine turned to him, in search of assistance. "Will you help me pack?"

"Can't it wait?" He asked, his speech sluggish, almost as if he had just been awoken from a long nap.

The young woman clicked her tongue in mild frustration. "No, not really." She answered. The oncoming headache felt like a power drill, pushing deep into her skull. Pressure was building behind her tired eyes, causing them to throb and water. She just wanted to crawl into bed and never emerge.

"But we don't have anything, just a couple of cans and weapons. It'll take half an hour at best."

"And that's half an hour I don't want to put off." She rebutted. Not wanting to lose her temper or raise her voice, she squeezed her eyes shut and exhaled a calming breath. "Louis, please, I need you to work with me here. Besides, it's not like we have anything better to do."

"There's plenty of things we could be doing." He concurred.

Her eyelids fluttered open, and her brow - already wrinkled with stress - dipped into a frown, while her brain scrambled in a futile attempt to decipher his bizarre riddles. However, the puzzle pieces all clicked into place when he stole a glance at the object of his desire.

That rosewood piano.

"Louis, no, don't even go there. We've talked about this enough already." Clementine took a firm and direct stance, in an attempt to squash his hopes before they became too grand.

"Oh come on, Clem, it's a _piano_. When's the next time I'm going to see one of those?" Louis responded in a rather childish whine.

The best she could offer him was a tiny shrug and a half baked answer. "I don't know... Probably never..."

"Exactly!" He cried, his pitch rising as his desperation grew. "Please, Clem, it's our last night here. Why not do something special and just fucking enjoy ourselves- for once!"

She shook her head as an act of protest. "It's too loud. Look around you - this place isn't exactly Fort Knox. If a herd of walkers or a bunch of bandits hear you playing, we'll be screwed."

"Then I'll play extra quiet. No Beethoven or anything like that. No one will hear us, I swear."

"...This still seems too risky."

"Clem, darling, please, I'm begging you here. Just one song, that's all I ask. Please." Her boyfriend pleaded. She half expected him to drop to his knees in front of her and grip her trouser leg for dear life.

 _Ugh... I hate being the bad guy._ Her thoughts droned. She scanned Louis for a moment, his gentle, mahogany brown eyes sparkled with roaring passion. Her gaze then drifted to the broken window, where she watched the grey curtain of rain hammer into the dirt, shrouded by fading twilight. _Screw it._ "Ok, fine. You win. But you better play quietly, or else whatever dangers are lurking outside will be the least of your worries."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Louis showered her with loving kisses, before dashing over to the piano at blinding speed.

Once in close proximity, his pace slowed to a crawl. Her boyfriend was breathless, as he paused to marvel at the ancient instrument. He then crouched down, and blew on the thick layer of dust coating the surface, sending a dull cloud up into the musty air. Even though she was maintaining her distance, Clementine still sneezed, which earned a chuckle from Louis.

After straightening his posture - and with a trembling hand - he delicately lifted the lid, and unveiled the remarkable craftsmanship to the world.

It was in pristine condition, the ivory keys were akin to white pearls - flawless in every conceivable way. Her boyfriend tested one with feverish excitement, and a pleasant note vibrated through the strings. Louis quivered with joy, and began playing a short, wistful melody. "Someone loved you very much." He commented, with a warm, silky flavour to his voice. He then dragged the small, leather wrapped stool out and nestled down. After that, he eased his feet onto the pedals, to check that they were up to code as well.

"Oh my god. She's perfect." He whispered, each syllable laced with affection, as the years melted away before her very eyes, returning him to his youthful, innocent state. "Too perfect. Someone pinch me, I think I'm dreaming."

A spark of deviousness overcame Clementine as she stealthily approached him, and pinched his arm. The old squeeze and twist technique.

"Ow!" He yelped, while flinching away from her touch.

"What? You said _pinch me._ " She teased. She then poked his head a couple of times for no particular reason. The whimsical atmosphere in the room was causing her bubbly mood to intensify.

He lightly slapped her hand with a hint of playfulness, forcing Clementine to retreat. "Yeah, but I didn't mean that you should actually do it!"

The young woman cradled her own hips and disguised her smirk with a frown. "Alright, fine. I can see when I'm not wanted. I'll get back to packing and leave you alone with your new girlfriend now."

"Clem, hold up a sec." Louis said, catching her wrist before she could walk off. "Come on, at least get to know her first instead of jumping to conclusions. I promise she's just a friend, so there's no need to be jealous. I mean, sure, she's pretty and all, but nobody's as beautiful as you."

Even though it was just a huge charade, there were many truths to his statement, which caused Clementine's cheeks to flush bright red.

"Uh oh, someone's a little embarrassed. Either that or they're having an allergic reaction." Her boyfriend joked. He then gently cupped her hand. "You're not actually having an allergic reaction, are you? Was it something in the weasel stew?"

"No, you big dope! I'm not allergic to anything!" She responded through fits of giggles and attempts to hide her face, which resembled that of a nasty sunburn.

"Ok, good. Just checking. Wouldn't want you to drop dead." Louis said, a grin plastered on his freckled cheeks. "After all, the only thing you are... is drop dead gorgeous." He added, winking and blowing a kiss.

"Shut up! Christ, I'll look at the piano, ok? Just stop!" She cried, flustered beyond human comprehension.

Her face radiated with intense heat as she edged closer. However, she only managed to get a brief, sweeping glance at the piano, before Louis yanked on her arm. She fell onto his lap, and bashed her head against his in the process. She heard the stool groan with effort, and feared that it would collapse under their combined weight. But no such event occurred.

She began nursing her head with one hand, while the other smacked her boyfriend's shoulder. "You idiot! What on earth were you thinking?! You could've knocked us both out!" She cried, while uncontrollable laughter burned her throat.

"Why do you sound so surprised? You should know by now that you're the only one around here who has a brain." Louis quipped. Despite his jovial response, he was still quick to check for swelling. "Christ, that fucking hurt. What is your head made out of, titanium?"

"Steel, actually."

"I think it's starting to bruise. Is my nose bleeding?" He asked, performing his latest act, and starring as the injured party.

A hard eye roll accompanied Clementine's reply. "Don't be so dramatic."

He threw his hands up in disarray. "But I need medical attention!"

"Aw, does baby want me to kiss it better?" She teased.

Louis missed a couple of beats before bashfully answering with a hushed "Yes please."

The young woman giggled, and adjusted herself on his lap in order to get a more comfortable position. She then wrapped her arms around his neck, dodged the minefield of hairs that could catch in her mouth, and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. A minor red bump had already begun to develop, but she hoped her act of loving affection would cause it to simply vanish. Her lips lingered there, before traversing over his wrinkles and kissing the bridge of his nose. A dreamy and content sigh vibrated from her throat as she slowly pulled back, and curled a dreadlock around her finger. "How was that? Do you feel any better?"

"A little." He croaked out. He didn't seem quite as relaxed, judging by his evasive stare and incredibly tense body.

He turned away rather sharply, and this action troubled her. She studied him for a few seconds, in an attempt to decipher meaning from his features. However, after being unable to read him, she touched his freckled cheek, and nudged his head, encouraging him to face her once more.

There was something vile and grotesque gnawing at the back of Louis' head. Something old. Its teeth were razor sharp and sunk deep. It robbed happiness. Stole dreams. Fed until he was nothing but an empty husk. Its gaping maw reeked of death, and from those jaws came ugly whispers, reminding him of his mistakes. Of his guilt.

Her boyfriend moved his head and pressed his mouth against her palm. His lips traced the map of creases, planting kisses on uncharted locations. A sigh rumbled through his chest, and she caught his hot breath in her grasp. Perhaps she could keep it safe in a jar.

"I'm sorry, about earlier." He apologised, his voice resembling the squeak of a skittish mouse. He took her comforting hand in his own, and stroked her knuckles with his thumb. "I didn't mean to cause such a fuss. I just... I miss belonging somewhere, you know? The school was my home... for years. I guess, even after all this time, I'm still homesick."

"I get it. You don't have to apologise. I'm the one who should be sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." Clementine expressed her sympathy. Homesickness was not a foreign concept to her. "I miss belonging somewhere too. I've been on the road for so long. It's exhausting. I've joined a few groups, stayed in a couple of places here and there, but nothing lasts. I've lost people along the way... friends... family... It never gets any easier. I began to think I was cursed. No matter where I went, destruction always followed. AJ was my last chance. Someone who I had to keep safe. Someone who I couldn't lose. We scraped by for a while, but then... We ended up at your school. It felt like home. But my curse caught up with me - deep down I knew it would - and everything fell apart. I wish... We could have stayed there longer."

She retracted her hand and pulled Louis into a tight embrace. She hoped this would banish that malicious creature, or at the very least, loosen its grip.

"We could still go back." He mumbled into her shoulder.

"What do you mean?"

"There are probably still some walkers roaming around, but we know how to deal with those. Lily and her people, they'll be long gone. We could rebuild and start over." He suggested, his tone filled with conviction, almost as if he was drunk on this elaborate fantasy.

"Louis, you know that's not possible. The three of us, maintaining a place as big as that? We'd be stretched thin. It wouldn't be long until we buckled under the weight of such pressure." She responded, trying to let him down gently whilst remaining factual.

His entire body sank into her arms. The disappointment radiating from him was palpable. "It was just a thought."

Clementine cradled his neck and traced circles on his back. "I know."

They stayed in that position for an eternity, allowing their words to settle and to share each other's warmth. However, Louis was the first to pull out of the hug, and his hands swiftly moved to the ivory keys. He cleared his throat, hoping to relieve himself of such crushing sadness. "Here's a better idea. How about we play a little game called 'Name That Tune'?"

"Don't be ridiculous. You know my knowledge of music doesn't stretch very far."

"Aww come on, it'll be fun. I'll start off with an easy one for you."

"Ok, fine." She said through a defeated sigh.

"Great!" Louis cheered. He then put on his best game show host voice. "NOW GET READY TO NAMMMMMMMME THAT TUNE!"

The melody he began with was simple and straightforward, in fact he could most likely perform one handed if necessary. He was only a few notes in before Clementine recognised it.

"Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?"

"DING DING DING! We have a winner!" He cried with glee.

"Oh cool! What do I win?" She asked, curious to see what he could possibly make up on the fly.

"The satisfaction of getting one right!"

She made no attempt to hide her frown. "That's not a very good prize."

"We're working on a very tight budget, I'm afraid." Her boyfriend offered a short, easy explanation. "But what would you like to win?"

"Hmm..." The young woman stroked her chin as she pondered. "A brand new car."

"I'll see what I can do. Now let's head to round 2!"

The musician aligned his fingers with the correct keys, and began playing a different, far more elaborate and complex tune. Clementine scrunched up her nose as she concentrated, and after a lengthy period of time, along with a few guesses rattling around inside her head, she came up with a definitive answer.

"Oh, I remember this song!" She blurted out, her face beaming with excitement. "Well, I have no idea what it's called, but I know you were playing this for AJ on the day we met."

"It's a Chopin piece." Louis clarified.

"...That sounds like complete gibberish to me."

"Haha, fair enough." He chuckled. "God, this really takes me back. Everyone was so tired of AJ's temper tantrums, so Marlon dumped him on me, said I could 'Go nuts! Do whatever it takes to calm him down.' As soon as he showed interest in my piano, I jumped at the chance to play him every song I knew. He was pretty much hypnotised when you walked in - I was already riding high that morning because someone actually liked my music, but after you appeared, like some sort of angel, my heart... Just exploded." Her boyfriend paused momentarily, those two shimmering topazes lost in pure nostalgia, while the biggest, stupidest grin spread across his bright, happy face. "The way you smiled and laughed... I remember thinking that, there was no way someone so... Extraordinary could exist, and yet there you were, practically glowing in the sunlight. I guess you could say it was love at first sight."

"...Holy shit." Clementine breathed.

Louis looked somewhat alarmed. "What? What is it? What did I do?"

"Nothing, it's just- you're so-" She stuttered, the words catching on her tongue. "You're so cute."

"Me? Cute? Nah. You on the other hand? Absolutely. In fact, you're the definition of cute."

She pinched his cheek. "Then I guess you must be the definition of adorable."

"That's why we're a match made in heaven." Her boyfriend chimed, nuzzling his nose against her own.

Unprompted, he started playing another song, without the previously established game show host routine.

"What is this? Round 3?" She questioned.

"Ah, forget the stupid contest. I'd rather play something from the heart instead."

 _Phew, that's a relief. I would've lost if we were still playing._ "So what's this song called?"

"Moon River. Have you ever heard of it?"

"No, never. Does it have any lyrics?" Clementine quizzed, her curiosity peaking.

"You betcha." He replied, bobbing his head while his hands continued to glide with such precision and grace.

"Can I hear them?" She requested.

"What, you want me to sing? When I haven't even warmed up my voice?"

"Just do it, you big dope." She urged, eager to hear his golden pipes.

"Hehe, alright, if I must."

Louis restarted the instrumental, whilst Clementine waited with bated breath. Finally, his moment to shine arrived, and his singing voice sent her heart into a crazed, unrelenting frenzy.

"Moon river, wider than a mile

I'm crossing you in style some day

Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker

Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way."

His dark, chocolatey brown eyes floated away from the piano as he tilted his head to face her. She sat unmoving, completely transfixed by such a grand, but also immensely personal and sentimental display.

"Two drifters, off to see the world

There's such a lot of world to see

We're after the same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bend

My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me..."

His voice trailed off, as Clementine closed the tiny gap between them, and kissed him on the lips. His peach fuzz tickled her chin, and his itchy scarf brushed against her neck, while her hands caressed his rosy cheeks and combed through his tangled hair. She had longed for this level of intimacy - moments like this were rare and special, they lit a spark within her that ignited into a roaring flame of love and desire, that would continue to burn for eons. She savoured his touch, savoured this kiss, like it was the last time she would ever hold him again.

Refusing to come up for air, Louis shifted slightly, and though one hand cradled her hips, the other became buried in his coat pocket. She did not know his intentions, and frankly she did not care. All she wanted was to enjoy this blissful moment with him, for as long as it could possibly last.

A loud clatter shattered the quiet atmosphere, and brought their whole world crashing down.

Something- _someone_ had triggered the alarm.

They both instinctively broke away, and shared a momentary glance, before she jumped to her feet. Clementine charged towards the entrance hall, and caught sight of Louis racing into the kitchen through her peripheral vision. Adrenaline coursed like molten lava through her veins, as she snatched her bow from its resting place, and slammed the front door wide open, almost knocking it off its last hinge.

The harsh wind and the blistering rain was a shock to the system, and robbed her lungs of air. Night had claimed the forest, cloaking her surroundings in such a thick darkness, she could barely make out the treeline.

Fighting against her fear and the bitter cold, she readied an arrow and pulled back her bow.

"Who's there? Who are you? What do you want?!" Clementine screamed into the black void. Her voice quivered and her arms trembled.

"ANSWER ME!"

Louis arrived, carrying their emergency flashlight. She couldn't remember the last time they used it. Did it even have any juice left?

Judging by how desperately he was flicking the switch on and off, in a vicious, never ending cycle, she guessed the answer to that question was a strong no.

He cursed under his breath as he pounded the flashlight against his hand. Finally, by some miracle, it switched on, and the forest was illuminated with a blinding white light. The beam frantically darted from left to right, and then back again, as her boyfriend searched for whatever triggered the alarm.

_God, could he just point the damn thing in one direction and keep it there?! I can't shoot this fucker unless I can see them!_

A few bushes rustled close by, and Clementine failed to stifle a panicked scream. Louis yelped, but managed to remain focused, and lit up the source of the noise. A pair of glowing yellow eyes reflected the flashlight beam.

The young man exhaled a sigh of relief. "Clem, relax. Look, it's just a fox." He pointed out. The creature eyed them curiously, but lost interest fast, and with a flick of its orange tail, it scampered off into the wilderness. He laughed gingerly, and slipped into his usual routine, in order to lighten the mood. "Where was that guy when we were trying to score some meat, huh? And showing up on our last night too? It's like he's trying to taunt us. Sly little bastard."

"You're lucky it wasn't a walker or a person. See, this is exactly why I didn't want you touching that fucking piano!" Her amber eyes burned with fury as she shot him an angry glare.

Louis took a step back and threw his hands up in self defence. “Jesus, Clem, I just wanted us to have a good time, like we used to. We were having fun, YOU were having fun!”

“Yeah, well, I’ve had enough fun for one night. I’m turning in.” She declared, before stomping towards the cabin. 

“Clem-“

“I said I’m turning in!” She shouted, more forcefully than she had intended. Her next few words were hushed, but still laced with venom. “Goodnight, Louis.” 

“Goodnight.” He whispered, but his words were drowned out by the rain. Whilst Clementine vacated the scene, Louis glanced over his shoulder, and took one last sweeping look at the tree line.

_ Anything could be out there... Hiding in the shadows...  _ He shook his head.  _ It was a fox. That’s all. Just a fox. _

He turned towards the cabin and switched off his flashlight, plunging the forest into darkness.


	2. Life is Precious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter contains sexual references, tobacco and alcohol use.

Clementine awoke in the dead of night to her stomach twisting into tight knots. Hunger was a dull, constant ache that plagued her day to day life. She couldn't remember the last time a sufficient meal passed her lips.

They were limiting her rations. It was the only logical conclusion. This was step one in a long process to break her spirit and make her more subservient.

The girl's hands shook violently as she gripped the fabric of her denim jacket. The muscles in her strained neck were tender, and her entire body was sore after sleeping in a rough, uncomfortable position.

Her heavy eyelids fluttered sleepily as she surveyed their living quarters, and attempted to differentiate between each dark outline. It was a moonless night, cloaking the room in shadow, and making her job ten times harder.

Eventually, her eyes adjusted, and the first thing to meet her gaze were the jagged tally marks, which were roughly scratched into the wall.

She shuddered. There was a thick, dense cloud of misery that hung over this vile place.

The sniffles and occasional hiccups emanating from her cellmate snagged her attention. Louis lay on the bunk, facing the wall, whimpering into his sleeve.

Maybe this was what stirred Clementine from her slumber.

"Louis." The girl whispered under her breath. She then traded a paranoid glance with the cell door, checking for any sign of the patrolling guard.

They weren't supposed to talk after lights out.

Louis did not respond. Instead, he went deathly quiet, and tucked his legs closer to his chest. She wondered what went through his head in that moment. 'Maybe if I make myself as small as possible and don't move, she'll just go away.'

"Come on, quit pretending, I know you're still awake." She persisted. After all, her badgering only came from a place of caring.

At first, it seemed as though her words had fallen on deaf ears, and silence rippled across the desolate room. The sound of waves lapping against the boat was her only company - a minute background noise that filled the dead air with ambiance. The ship bobbed and rocked on these waves, creating a steady, hypnotic sway, which was actually quite peaceful. It was certainly a huge change of pace to the rapids they had encountered further up stream.

"What do you want, Clementine?" Louis punctured the stillness, with words that sounded akin to bile - he had forced himself to speak, and his body physically rejected this simple act. His voice was also completely hollow, almost as if she wasn't engaging with a person, but rather… The shell of one.

"I just wanted to check on you, make sure you're alright." She provided him with a truthful and heartfelt answer. "What's wrong? Are you thinking about-"

"-Nothing!" He cut her off, panicked by what undoubtedly came next - too pained to be reminded of what he had lost. "It's nothing... I'm fine, okay?"

"You know you don't have to be."

"I said I'm fine." Louis insisted, but his voice was fragile, delicately formed from glass, and shattered into a thousand pieces. "Please, just leave me alone."

"Okay. But when you're ready to talk, I'll be here." Clementine told him in a gentle, warm, reassuring tone.

"Can't exactly go anywhere." He murmured, whilst wiping his snot covered nose.

 _Was that a joke?_ She pondered. Either way, she still laughed, albeit half-heartedly. "Ha, true."

"Then again, maybe I'll get lucky and they'll throw me overboard soon."

"Holy shit, what the fuck, Louis?!" The girl blurted out in a rather loud volume, too startled by his morbid proclamation to even consider the consequences. A wave of anxiety crashed on top of her, and she traded another glance with the cell door. She waited with bated breath for the guard to come charging in like a crazed bull, and cart her away to solitary confinement. However, no such event occurred. The only thing lingering in the hallway was a tiny, brown, speckled moth, fluttering around without a care in the world. _I don't see any movement... I think we're in the clear._ Although no one stirred, she wasn't going to take her chances a second time, and continued to speak just slightly above a whisper. "Please don't say things like that."

The boy sat up and turned to face her. Despite his face being partly masked by shadows, she could still see how red, swollen and puffy his previously joyful eyes now were. "Why not? It's what I deserve, isn't it?"

Clementine tried to interject, but he was far from finished. "There are so many people, people better than me, that should be here. I- I shouldn't be here... Why- why am I still here?" He questioned, lost and helpless, his voice small and permanently fractured, while tears threatened to flood his already stained cheeks.

Weak from hunger, but determined to console him, she siphoned every last ounce of her strength, in order to shuffle closer and place her hand on his knee. "Hey, no! That's not fair on you. Trust me, Louis, you're worth so much more than you think. You can't give up. Not now. We have to bide our time and come up with a plan."

"I don't know how long I can wait, Clem." Louis whimpered, hot tears breaking free from their shackles, cascading down and splashing on her skin. They burned like acid, and yet she wanted to catch them - wanted to scrub his face clean.

"I know it's hard, but you have to at least try! If not for yourself, then do it for the others." She urged, desperately trying to give him some form of resolve. Anything to banish this crushing despair, anything to make him feel less alone. "Tenn, Willy... They look up to you, Louis, they need you. Please... Please try."

The boy swallowed hard and blinked rapidly. For a split second, his fingers grazed her hand - crossed the treacherous mountain peaks that were her hardened, blistered knuckles. He flinched - her touch was foreign, alien to him - he seemed terrified of properly reciprocating. Eventually, he allowed his hand to settle on top of her own, and in that moment she felt the steady beat of his heart. "...I can't make any promises. But I'll do my best."

"That's more than enough for me." Clementine said, her lips curling into a tiny but unwavering smile. She swiftly pulled her hand away from his loose grip, warning herself not to overstep boundaries, as well as not to read too deeply into this interaction. She retreated to her tiny corner of the room, and slumped back against the wall. Her last sentiment was an apology, one that she justifiably owed him. "And Louis... For what it's worth... I'm sorry."

"I know. Doesn't bring her back though, does it?"

* * *

The storm had passed, for now at least, but mist had settled in its wake. Dawn had arrived, causing sunlight to flitter through this ever shifting cloud of water vapour. Dewdrops, balancing on skeletal tree branches and tall grass, caught these rays and refracted magical, colourful rainbows.

Clementine was in the kitchen, taking stock of inventory, while Louis and AJ were outside dismantling their alarm system. Everything seemed to be accounted for during her first inspection, but it was important to double and triple check. Forgetting anything would be a recipe for disaster.

All three of their bedrolls were present and correct, but her boyfriend's backpack was practically empty, aside from a few miscellaneous items. Crumpled, yellow tinted, sheet music, stray ink pens, a box of matches, their emergency flashlight, water canteen, coiled fishing wire, canned beans, et cetera. Meanwhile, their cooking utensils were tied to the exterior with string.

A yawn escaped her, before she zipped up the bag and moved on to AJ's backpack. He was carrying even less, with only his book collection and brochures to speak of, so she barely had it open for long.

Lastly, she checked her own belongings. Within her backpack, Clementine found her sewing kit, extra pieces of fabric, nail file, rusted scissors, can opener, canned peas, trusty map and five arrows - which were poking out of the flap and easily retrievable.

She sighed and banished the sleep from her eyes with a quick stroke of her hand. When the trio had first hit the road, they had established a rule; all supplies were to be distributed evenly, so that no one was carrying more than they could manage. For a while, their bags were full, and their spirits high. But now... They may as well have abolished that rule.

 _All of this could easily fit into one backpack._ She thought, the hopelessness of their situation beginning to ensnare her mind once more.

However, before she could go into a downwards spiral, Louis returned, with his salvaged guitar swung over his shoulder and Chairles Junior in hand, as well as AJ in tow. "There, all done." The young man said, presenting the string of empty cans to her.

"Good work you two." She complimented.

AJ responded with a smile, before crouching down in order to tie his shoelaces. Louis propped Chairles Junior against the wall and approached her, curious about their supplies. "Is everything present and correct, ma'am?"

"I think so. I've checked enough times already, and I'm too fed up to look again."

He brushed his coat tail aside and placed his hands on his hips. "Well, if anything is missing, then it can't be too important, otherwise you'd remember."

"True." The young woman mused, whilst scooping up her bag and securing it on her shoulders.

Louis shoved the alarm system into his own. Or at least, he tried to, but failed miserably. Clementine watched this spectacle, her brow knitted with confusion. His mind seemed to be ensnared by troubling thoughts too, making his current task impossible. Although, she didn't have to wait long to find out the root of his problem, as he was keen to air his dirty laundry. "Hey um, listen... About last night..." He began, a lump already forming in his throat as he forced himself to lock eye contact.

Her forehead wrinkles creased as that recent memory reared its ugly head. She could picture the black, dense, nightmarish forest, illuminated by a powerful beam of artificial light - feel the blistering rain and the chilly night air on her skin. Louis' pained expression was so vivid, she could remember every minuscule detail - each wrinkle and fold portrayed just how much her words stung.

She glanced at AJ, who was still knelt on the rotten, bug infested floorboards, struggling with his shoelaces. She studied him as he mouthed the rhyme she had taught him religiously. "Bunny ears, bunny ears, playing by a tree. Criss-crossed the tree, trying to catch me. Bunny ears, Bunny ears, jumped into the hole, popped out the other side beautiful and bold."

Her gaze shifted back to Louis, who had no clue what to say. "I... um..."

Her facial expression softened and a smile replaced her frown. "Forget it. New day, fresh start, right?"

Her boyfriend's jaw dropped. She chuckled lightly, and reached out in order to close his mouth for him. She then stood on her tiptoes, and planted a delicate kiss on his freckled cheek, before pulling him into a tight hug. "There's no point getting hung up over something so stupid." She whispered.

This animosity, it was harmful and toxic. It was better to let go than allow it to fester and mutate. Plus, even though AJ was distracted, he wouldn't be for long, and she would rather avoid dredging up this baggage in his presence.

Louis stroked her short, ebony hair and kissed the top of her head with loving affection. "Right."

She pulled away, and treated him to another sweet, genuine smile, which he mirrored.

The young man then scratched his patchy beard bristles and eyed their belongings once more. She saw a hint of curiosity flash across his mahogany brown eyes, as a new topic soon presented itself. "You still got that switchblade?" He asked. "Haven't seen you use it in a while."

"Yeah, I've been keeping it in my boot, in case of emergencies." Clementine answered, patting her left leg.

This was another rule; keeping a concealed weapon on their person at all times. Nowadays, with fewer and fewer survivors, the chances of getting ambushed were slim, but they had been very unlucky in the past, so proceeding with caution was wise. Besides his gun, AJ also carried a shiv, which he had fashioned together himself. Louis owned a letter opener, which was surprisingly lethal, and kept stashed in his coat pocket. Meanwhile, Clementine's switchblade was an emergency backup to her much larger knife.

"Sounds like a recipe for disaster." Louis commented, while flicking loose dreadlocks out of his eyes.

"For whoever decides to fuck with us?"

"No, for your foot." He said, a smug grin accompanying his witty remark. "If you ever set it off accidentally, then BAM- there goes your big toe."

A chirpy giggle bubbled to the surface. "Fair point, but you're going to have to trust me on this one." In actuality, the switchblade was tucked safely into the rim of her boot, making it extremely well-hidden, accessible but also risk free.

"Alright, but don't blame me if you stab yourself." Louis taunted. However, he dropped the playful act after he eyed the pure chaos that was his overstuffed backpack. "Would you mind um..." He trailed off, gesturing helplessly at the disaster.

Her giggle transformed into a pleasant laugh. "I'll handle it, don't worry."

His posture relaxed, since an invisible weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "Thanks, Clem. I think I've suffered through enough embarrassment, at least for one day." He joked. He then grabbed AJ's backpack and motioned at the nine year old - who was now occupying a space on the stairs - his shoelaces finally tied. "I'm gonna go give this to Alvie while you sort this mess out."

Clementine bobbed her head in acknowledgment, and began neatly packing the alarm system away. Louis trotted over to AJ and placed the bag at his feet.

"Hey there kiddo, whatcha up to?" The young man asked.

She watched their conversation from afar, and immediately noticed that AJ was spinning the cylinder of his pistol - a mindless habit which he could not break. "Counting my bullets." He offered Louis a short, simple answer.

This procured her boyfriend's interest. "Oh yeah? How many you got?"

"Four. You?"

Louis intended on reaching for his gun, but stopped mid-way. He didn't need to check, the answer was common knowledge. "Zero."

"Oh... Sorry. Next time I find some, they're all yours." AJ stated.

"Aw, thanks buddy, I appreciate it." He uttered gratefully, a smile tugging at his soft cheeks.

Clementine finished packing Louis' bag and zipped it up. She then collected it off the dining table, and ventured over to the duo. "Alright, Team Fun, ready to hit the road?"

"Yes ma'am!" Louis offered his usual jovial response, along with a mock salute. On the other hand, AJ's lips were sealed.

Concern swelled in Clementine's heart, and her gut instinct was to address him directly. "AJ?" He was never this quiet, especially not two days in a row.

"Ready as I'll ever be." AJ finally answered, a deep sigh rumbling from his chest. The young boy tucked away his pistol and slowly stood up. He then snatched his backpack, and made a beeline for the exit.

"What was that all about?" She questioned.

Louis just shrugged in dismay. "No clue."

Without a better solution, Clementine's only choice was to brush off that minor, tense interaction. She tossed Louis his bag, which he successfully caught and flung over his shoulder. The couple followed in AJ's footsteps, with Louis making a brief detour to grab Chairles Junior. He could not afford to leave his best weapon behind.

They found AJ standing beside the outer wall of the cabin, his hand pressed against a section untouched by poison ivy. The young boy's eyes were tightly shut, as he muttered under his breath.

He was saying one last goodbye. Thanking their dilapidated, temporary base, for giving them shelter and keeping them safe.

Clementine glanced at Louis, who simply nodded and headed over to the trail, in order to maintain his distance. They shared a mutual understanding, and knew how important it was to not disturb AJ. The young boy had been forced to abandon so many sanctuaries - so many potential homes. It never got any easier. The least they could do was allow him to have this moment of solace.

She used to join him in these minimalistic rituals, but for the sake of her aching heart and fragile psyche, she now preferred to busy herself with manageable tasks - such as examining their already scouted perimeter. Clementine approached the area where their alarm system had once been situated, as well as where suspicious activity had occurred the night prior. It was greatly important to investigate this location in the daylight. There was nothing out of the ordinary, except for a few indentations in the tree bark, but those were likely results of the fishing wire being extremely tight.

Her amber eyes darted across the bramble bushes as she did one last sweep.

Clementine's breath hitched. Invisible hands wrapped around her throat, and tightened their powerful grip, stealing every last drop of air from her lungs. She was barely able to croak out Louis' name, but her panicked yelp was met by his immediate attention.

He dashed over and gripped her shoulder, but his comforting touch did not register. Ice coursed through her veins, causing a shiver to race down her spine, and rendering her entire body numb.

"What's wrong?" Louis asked. "Clem?" Why did he sound so far away? Almost as if she was submerged in deep water or lost underground in a maze-like cave system.

"It wasn't a fox." She whispered, her voice fragile, like a house of cards, one false move away from crumbling.

Confusion was written on his face and lips before he even spoke. "What are you talking about?"

"Someone was here last night." Clementine answered. She pointed a trembling finger at the shrivelled, gnarled tree roots. There, in a damp, boggy mud patch, were two large, unmistakable boot prints.

Her boyfriend's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. However, after that shocked reaction, he was incredibly quick to rationalise her discovery. "That was probably us. Me and AJ have been traipsing around here all morning."

"No way. Look at it. They're not AJ's shoe size and they don't match your boots at all. Yours are for hiking, these are military grade." She argued.

"Then it was a walker. They wear shoes too." Louis stated. "I bet it was Mr Jawless. He's lurking nearby, hoping to find a tasty meal. Good luck getting one with half a face. You have to admire his dedication though."

Clementine gritted her teeth, as a combination of anger and fear caused her to lash out. "Would you quit it with the fucking mental gymnastics and stupid jokes?! This is serious!"

"Clem? Louis?" AJ's voice cut through the air. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, buddy." Louis reassured him. "Would you mind going on ahead and making sure the coast is clear? We'll catch up with you."

The young boy nodded firmly, his dark eyes brimming with determination as he unholstered his pistol. "I'm on it."

"Don't go too far." Clementine warned.

AJ nodded once more, indicating that he had taken her message onboard. He then jogged down the beaten track, disappearing amongst the vegetation.

Now utterly alone, Louis addressed her in a quiet, comforting tone. "Clem, I get it. I really do. But we don't know who or what made those footprints. So we can't lose our minds over this." He explained, attempting to juggle the strenuous task of being diplomatic, as well as fair. "Even if it was a person, then it was just that - one person. We can deal with that. Besides, you probably scared them to death when you came charging out here, screaming like a banshee last night. They won't be coming back anytime soon."

"And if there's more than one?" She questioned, still rather unconvinced.

"Then by the time they've rounded up their little squad and are ready to launch an attack, we'll be long gone." He replied. His fingers brushed against her hand, like a peaceful butterfly soaring past and flapping its delicate wings. "It's going to be okay, Clem."

"I wish I could believe that." Clementine murmured, her thoughts tangled in a web made from soul crushing terror.

His fingers became intertwined with hers. Although scared out of her wits, she welcomed his touch. "Come on, let's ditch this place." He said, flicking his head in the direction AJ went.

"Gladly."

Louis kept a firm grip on her hand and led her over to the trail. She glanced over her shoulder at the cabin, and found herself longing for a reality where they had more fond memories of this place to cherish.

They found AJ waiting patiently a short walk down the path. "How's it looking, bud?" Louis requested a status update.

"All clear." The young boy replied, much to everyone's relief. A collective sigh rippled through the atmosphere.

"Good. But we should still pick up the pace. Right, Clem?"

"The sooner we get out of here, the better." She agreed. She couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, but that was most likely paranoia.

The trio walked briskly in silence. Louis never let go of Clementine's hand, and would give it the occasional squeeze. This kind, loving gesture helped fight against the panic, which continued to battle for control of her emotions.

Eventually, grass and dirt became asphalt and gravel, as they arrived at the desolate road. Deep cracks in the concrete were punctuated with overgrown weeds. Nature had successfully reclaimed its stolen land. Meanwhile, an abandoned car sat idly nearby - wheels, engine, and doors stripped from its rusted frame. More vegetation was beginning to overrun the car, converting it into a glorified plant pot. It was hard to believe that pile of scrap metal used to be a vehicle, capable of cruising down these country lanes. A time capsule from an era long forgotten.

Her boyfriend thoroughly examined their surroundings, perhaps hoping to spot a sign, before piping up with a question. "So, captain, where are we headed?"

Their hands parted, as Clementine shrugged off her backpack, in order to consult her reliable, trusty map. "The town we should be on the lookout for is in..." She paused, and traced the long, curvy line to their destination. "...That direction." She declared, pointing to the east.

"Lead the way."

After securing the map back in her bag, the couple linked hands once more and ventured onward, following the road as it twisted and turned, stretching out for miles.

Clementine could hear AJ fiddling with his pistol again, detaching the cylinder and then reinserting it in a slow, rhythmic pattern. However, that noise faded into the background when Louis squeezed her hand so tightly, she feared he would cut off blood circulation.

"If there really was someone _watching_ us last night- if that shithead decides to come back, if they find-" He stopped, words beginning to fail him. A hodgepodge of emotions flashed across his face, terror, rage, but the one to dominate them all was conviction. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect you. To protect us."

"I know." She whispered. "But the last thing that I want, is for you to get yourself killed."

"I don't plan on it."

* * *

Opal Creek.

Those were the hardly eligible letters, printed on a rusty, weathered, collapsing sign. Beyond it, lay the forgotten, abandoned town, buried deep within the valley. Opal Creek's most captivating landmark was a towering church steeple, that pierced the gold tinted sky, threatening to rip a hole in that pristine, faded, ocean blue curtain. Meanwhile, at the furthest reaches, stood one pillar to rival the church. Mining equipment - the upper half of a complex elevator system - ancient, consigned to oblivion, and yet resilient.

The mist had lifted, allowing for a much wider scenic view. Clementine gazed upon the horizon, biding her time whilst Louis trudged behind her, trying in vain to catch up. He had been burdened with carrying AJ on his back, after the young boy became too exhausted to walk. She wasn't up to the task, since AJ was hitting a growth spurt and was far too heavy, so she had been placed in charge of lugging her boyfriend's offloaded baggage around instead.

Another minute scraped by, before Louis finally joined her at the peak of the hill. He panted heavily, whilst sweat pooled on his forehead and cascaded to the tarmac below. "Why'd you stop?" He questioned, despite short of breath.

"Because we're here." She answered, masking her amusement with a sympathetic look.

"Oh good. Does that mean I can put him down now?"

"Yep."

"Thank god." Louis wheezed. He seemed to be on the verge of death.

"Careful though, I think he's nodded off." Clementine warned. She took a quick glance at AJ, in order to confirm her suspicions. "Yeah, he's definitely asleep. Looks like he's drooled on you too."

A thin, sticky trail of saliva ran from AJ's gaping mouth, and down the back of Louis' neck and leather jacket.

A dull groan emanated from her boyfriend's throat. "Even better."

"Someone's getting a little too big for piggyback rides." She commented, letting a tiny laugh slip.

"No shit." Louis scoffed.

"You should've made him walk for a few more miles before giving in to his demands."

"But he used the cute puppy dog eyes on me! I couldn't say no to a face like that." He protested.

 _Oldest trick in the book._ Clementine mused internally. She then rolled her eyes, but failed to suppress another chirpy giggle. "You're such a softy."

"I can't help it, children are my kryptonite." He dramatically hung his head in shame. A few tangled, loose dreadlocks clouded his vision, and with no free hands, his only option was to blow them out of the way. "Would you mind, um... waking him up?"

"Not at all." She accepted his request, and gently nudged AJ. "Come on, sleepyhead, rise and shine."

AJ's eyelids fluttered open, and a long, drawn out yawn escaped him. "Clem...? Where are we?" He questioned, looking puzzled and disoriented, as he rubbed his tired eyes.

"We're about to enter Opal Creek, kiddo." She answered, welcoming him back to the waking world with a brilliant smile and positive news.

"Oh... Cool." He mumbled, unable to feign enthusiasm, since he was barely conscious.

Louis straightened his arched back, and carefully set AJ down on his own two feet. However, they both needed an extra minute to regain their energy. After a few sips of water, the boys were prepared to continue on the home stretch.

Thankfully, the universe had blessed the trio, by granting them a slope for the last part of their exhausting, roughly eight hour trek. And so, they descended into Opal Creek's outskirts with relative ease. Dense foliage became suburban housing, and after crossing through a few neighbourhoods, they stopped by a cul-de-sac.

Louis immediately turned to Clementine, searching for guidance. "What's the plan now, commander?"

She noticed that AJ's impressionable gaze was fixated on her as well. Bearing that in mind, she then performed a survey of their surroundings. This area was lined with common structures - simple family homes, no interesting features, but built to last. There was a high probability that the vast majority had been broken into, but maybe...

The chill settling on her skin indicated only one thing. They were running out of time.

"Well, I'd say we have two- maybe three hours of daylight left. So our next move should be to find somewhere to hold up for the night. We'll search for supplies and pick this entire place clean tomorrow." Clementine declared, a rough, sketchy plan formulating in her head as she spoke. _Ok, we've dealt with the basics, now... I just need to assign roles._ "Louis, you head further into town, see what you can find. AJ, you stick with me and help me explore some of these houses."

Louis adjusted his grip on Chairles Junior and lightly swung the weapon at an invisible target. "Sounds good to me."

"If you spot anything promising, circle back here. We won't go far."

"Okay, got it." He confirmed that he had absorbed all of her instructions. He then stepped closer to AJ, and patted him on the shoulder. "Take care of her, AJ. And don't do anything I would do." He cautioned.

The young boy chuckled, but did not shy away from the seriousness of the topic. "I'll keep her safe."

Louis approached Clementine and caressed her cheek, before kissing her goodbye. "See you on the other side."

"See you on the other side." She repeated those parting words back to him.

He turned and ventured down the street, towards close-knit buildings and dilapidated businesses.

"Be careful!" She called after him.

"Of course. Careful is my middle name!" He shouted back, with a delightful flavour to his tone.

She smirked. "I thought it was Theodore?"

"No, WRONG! It's careful, definitely careful!"

"Just get out of here, Teddy." Clementine teased.

"How dare you reveal my secrets and mock me! I told you that in good faith!" Louis cried.

"I'm not listening anymore!" She replied, shutting down the long winded farewell, and turning her back on him. "Come on, AJ."

 _I hate splitting up._ Clementine thought, as she walked towards the first house on the cul-de-sac. Louis was capable, sure, but... There was always some nagging doubt - a tiny voice whispering in her mind. _What if something goes wrong? What if a walker catches him off guard? What if I never see him again?_

She shook her head, and banished those fears, locking them away in a sealed box. No matter how many times she imprisoned them, they always escaped. Always came back with vengeance.

After being lost in her own headspace, she quickly realised that AJ was no longer by her side. She felt a twinge of panic, but that soon diminished when she caught sight of him crouched on the pavement, staring at an old red tricycle.

"Hey Clem, did you ever ride one of these?" He quizzed, whilst poking the handlebars and deflated wheels with mild curiosity.

"I sure did. I even got upgraded to a two wheel bike on my sixth birthday!" She replied, smiling at the fond memories that began to resurface. She could picture it now - whizzing down the hill, helmet fastened, scuffed knees plastered, bell ringing, the wind racing through her long, curly hair, while her dad ran behind her, huffing and puffing, struggling to keep up. "I had to use it with stabilisers for a while though. I got them taken off not long before-"

Clementine stopped. A new image appeared before her very eyes - her dad, standing over her knocked over bicycle, his skin rotten, peeling away, guts hanging from his exposed rib cage, dragging across the floor, smearing his path with dark, maroon blood. His eyes, dry, glassy, white. Lifeless.

"Clem? Are you feeling alright?" AJ asked, his brow knitted with concern. "You look pale."

"I'm- I'm fine. Let's just keep going. We're burning daylight."

Clementine steered herself towards the first house on the cul-de-sac once more, with AJ tagging along this time. "I'd like to ride a bike someday." He stated.

"Oh yeah? Well, then you better add it to your bucket list." She suggested. "Look sharp, now. This house might not be completely empty."

It required zero effort to gain access to the front entrance. The door had been kicked in, and the lock was broken beyond repair.

Clementine retrieved her knife from its designated pocket, as she explored every nook and cranny of the living room. AJ remained in the hallway, clutching his gun - finger hovering over the trigger.

There was no safe way to check the second floor, since the stairway was cluttered with mismatched furniture, fashioned into a temporary blockade. The previous owner's last line of defence. _I wonder if they made it._

The pungent smell of decay wafting from the upper quarters squashed that hope.

A crash came from the kitchen.

Clementine almost suffered a heart attack. However, despite being startled, she recovered fast, and did not hesitate for a single second. She squeezed the handle of her knife, and rushed into the tiled room, prepared to stab the walker that was lying in wait.

Except there was no walker. The only thing occupying the kitchen was a large, bloated, black rat. The rodent gnashed hungrily with its yellow, sharp, buck teeth on what appeared to be raw, stringy, human flesh. It stared at her with red, beady eyes, and then scuttled off the counter, disappearing behind the fridge.

"Gross." The young woman muttered. _Would've made a nice meal though, if it weren't contaminated. You can never be too careful with rat meat._

"Clem?! What happened? What's in there?" AJ called out. He was probably alarmed by her lengthy absence.

"Nothing, AJ. It was just a rat." Clementine replied, whilst tucking her knife away. She vacated the kitchen, and returned to the living room, to find that AJ had stationed himself there instead. "Downstairs seems clear. Upstairs is blocked." She updated him.

"Why does it smell so bad?"

"I think there might be a body in here too."

"Oh." AJ responded. That nonchalant reaction was typical, especially coming from him. Death was the norm, and he had seen too much of it. They both had. "Do you think we'll stay here?"

Clementine glanced around and stroked her chin as she pondered for a moment, in order to heavily weigh up their options. "We could make it work. The front door is a bit of a hassle, but we could fortify it with some furniture... Push the couch up against it, maybe? Course, there's the back door to worry about too..." She trailed off once she noticed that AJ was no longer listening.

The young boy was looking at a wedding photo, proudly displayed on a dresser. The colours had faded, due to it being baked in the sun for too long, but the young couple's faces and their beaming smiles still shone bright. They were utterly infatuated with each other.

She wondered who was upstairs. The source of the smell and that rat's full stomach. The bride? The groom? Both of them? Neither? Perhaps a stranger came here, wanting to make this house their sanctuary. Instead it became their grave.

None of it mattered. Right now, Alvin Junior was her main focus. She could sense that he had been suppressing his emotions for quite some time. Perhaps she could take advantage of this calm, private moment and encourage him to open up. At least, it wouldn't hurt to try.

"AJ?" She addressed him in a delicate tone.

His gaze was still fixated on the wedding photo as he spoke. "Clem... Are you and Louis okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't we be?" She followed up without a second thought.

AJ missed a few beats before he replied. "Oh. Alright. Nevermind then."

"Whoa, hang on there, kiddo. You can't just ask a question like that and then refuse to explain yourself. Come on, spill the beans." Clementine insisted, crossing into his line of sight and knocking the picture frame face down.

"...I heard the alarm go off last night." He admitted.

She didn't understand what the correlation was, but she hoped that pulling this thread would cause everything to unravel. "Really? Why didn't you come down to help?"

AJ bowed his head, avoiding eye contact. "I did. I left before you came back in."

"Why did you do that?"

"Because you were angry. I heard you yelling at Louis."

Clementine sighed, and rubbed her temple. "I wasn't angry, AJ, I was frightened. I was terrified that we'd been found, that someone was going to take you or Louis away."

"Then why were you fighting before dinner?" He questioned, his voice small, hardly registrable.

 _He heard that too? God- how many arguments has he been subjected to?_ "Is this why you weren't very talkative at the table yesterday?"

The young boy nodded to confirm, too nervous to speak. Another sigh escaped her, whilst guilt and sadness swelled throughout her core. "Oh, AJ..."

"Do you even like him?"

"Of course I do!" Clementine blurted out, shocked and somewhat appalled that he would dare to ask such a thing.

"But one minute you're yelling at him, and then the next minute you're kissing and acting like nothing's wrong! It messes with my head!"

"AJ, I love Louis. He's my rock, same as you. I don't know where I'd be without him. The reason we fight is because we want what's best for each other. And sometimes it takes a lot of shouting to get that message through. But it's perfectly normal for couples to have a little disagreement every once in a while, so you shouldn't have to worry about it. I'm sorry if our fights ever hurt you."

AJ's lip quivered. He blinked rapidly, to fight back tears, and threw his arms around Clementine's waist. "I'm scared he'll leave again." He mumbled into her body warmer.

"That was different. He left to protect us. He wouldn't do that again." She reassured him, and began tracing circles on his back. "Even if we stopped being together, that doesn't mean it would affect his relationship with you. He cares about you so much, AJ. He wouldn't vanish from our lives over something so petty like that."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

They stood frozen for a moment, allowing the seconds to tick away. Clementine's grip on AJ tightened, as she swore to herself that she would never let him feel so helpless again.

"Clem? AJ?" Louis' voice echoed from outside.

"Yeah?" She called out to him.

"Come out! There's something I want to show you! It's pretty promising!"

Clementine pulled away from the young boy, and softly touched his shoulder. "You good?"

He sniffled, and then nodded. "I'm good."

Relief washed over her face, whilst her hand drifted upwards and cupped his cheek. She then flicked her head in the direction of the door. "Let's go."

Louis was waiting on the overgrown lawn, where blades of grass and wild flowers almost reached knee height. His chest was heaving, indicating that he had sprinted back here. Despite being winded, he was still delighted to see them. "Ah, there's my sunshine. And my bundle of joy."

AJ rushed towards Louis and tackled him with a hug, almost knocking him off his feet.

"Whoa! Hey there, buddy. What's this for? I haven't been gone that long, have I?" He questioned, confused but happy to embrace him. "Oh no, did I step through an inter dimensional gateway and travel ten years into the future? Clem! You look so young! Not a day over twenty one."

"Thirty isn't that old, Louis." She rebutted.

"It is to me. It's practically ancient." Her boyfriend joked. "And AJ! Look how big you've grown! You still haven't caught up to me, though." He continued, running the gag straight into the ground. "No but, seriously, what's this in aid of?"

"Nothing. I just like having you around." AJ admitted.

"As your personal taxi?" Louis teased. "Is this a ploy to get another piggyback ride? Because if so... Then it's working."

"No. You're my friend, and... I'd miss you if you ever went away."

"Aw, well, I'm flattered, kiddo. I'm glad you decided to keep me!" He joked once again. "But seriously, I'm in no rush to leave. Last time I checked, anyway. So whenever you need me, I'll always be right here." He said, his gentle words accompanied with a pat on the head.

"So, what did you find?" Clementine piped up.

Louis' eyes sparkled at that reminder. "Oh, right! Follow me and I'll show you."

AJ reluctantly released Louis, so that he could lead the group back to the main road. Clementine walked alongside him, while the third member of the team shuffled his feet and lingered at the rear.

"Um... That was kind of weird, right? Do you know what's up with AJ?" Louis asked, turning to his girlfriend for answers.

She glanced over her shoulder at AJ. He didn't appear to be listening, but she was still apprehensive about discussing this in his presence. "It's... complicated. I'll have to tell you later."

"Alright. As long as I get an explanation, I don't mind waiting."

She took a minute to examine their environment, as they left the estate housing behind, and entered a financial district. "Where are you taking us, anyway?"

"It's a surprise. But trust me, you're going to love it." He replied, eager to maintain the mysterious aura that surrounded his discovery.

They continued onwards in silence, until they eventually arrived at a small, brick-layered convenient store, tucked between a tailor shop and sushi bar. Louis rushed over to the front entrance, which was hidden behind a silver, rusted shutter. "Ta-da!" He cried, presenting the shop to his audience with a wave of his jazz hands, almost as if it was the top prize on a game show.

"Wow!" AJ gawked.

"Check it out, the other stores were broken into, but this one looks untouched! The shutter has got a padlock and everything!" He said, and quickly demonstrated by tugging on the aforementioned padlock. "I think it was a family run business, instead of a company chain. Best part is, there's a flat above. Maybe they rented it out, or maybe even lived there, who knows."

"This is an incredible find. Good job, Lou." Clementine complimented him, since she was beyond impressed. A secure building such as this could only mean one thing - there had to be a hidden gold mine behind those sealed doors.

Louis blushed and scratched the back of his head bashfully. "Aw shucks. Thank you, Clem."

"Now we just need to get in... AJ, would you mind-"

"Keeping watch?" The young boy interjected.

 _Am I really becoming that predictable?_ She wondered. "If it's not too much trouble."

"Don't worry, I got it." AJ stated, whipping out his pistol with fluidity and precision. He then embarked on a short journey to the other side of the empty street. Once there, he hopped onto a battered car, in order to gain the best vantage point.

"Alright, let's see if I can pick the lock." Clementine muttered to herself. She approached the shutter and dumped her backpack on the pavement, in order to fish out her nail file.

"And here I thought you carried that around just for vanity purposes." Louis mused.

"Versatility is not overrated."

"What does that even mean?"

"Nevermind. Just gimme a second, I need to focus." She stated, before crouching down and inserting the nail file into the lock. _I hope I remember how to do this, or else it might take a while._

"There's an employee entrance around the back, you know. I could always kick that down instead." He suggested, although his tone sounded rather snarky.

"That kind of defeats the purpose, don't you think? We'd be damaging an already perfect security measure, and creating a shit ton of noise." She presented a clever argument. The subtle approach seemed to be a far better choice. "It's not like your toothpick legs could make a dent in that door anyway."

"Hey! That's not very nice!" Her boyfriend rebutted, feebly clutching his bruised pride. "I'll have you know, you're in prime kicking position right now! And I definitely don't need muscular legs to knock you over."

"Touch me, and I'll break your ankle." Clementine warned, giving him a stern death glare.

"You wouldn't."

"I would. Do not test me."

Louis lifted his foot and inched it towards her. "Louis..." She growled. But he just could not resist, and dared to poke the hornet's nest, by giving her a gentle nudge. "You're skating on mighty thin ice."

The only reply she received was a mischievous snicker.

The young woman did a hard eye roll and fiddled helplessly with the stubborn lock. "Could you maybe make yourself useful and help AJ keep watch? Your antics are making me lose concentration."

"Aw, but you love it though." He teased. She could tell by his bubbly voice that he was grinning from ear to ear, without having to steal a glance.

"I don't." Clementine insisted, refusing to let him thaw her cold demeanour.

"Liar."

A defeated sigh rumbled through her chest. "Fine, if you insist on standing behind me, could you at least move a little? You're blocking my light."

"Oh, sorry." Louis apologised. He then shifted slightly, removing his large, obnoxious shadow from her line of sight.

A wave of eerie silence followed, which was occasionally punctuated by Louis whistling a happy tune to himself. After hearing a few clicks from the lock's inner mechanism, Clementine decided to engage in minor small talk, as a reward for her progress.

"Have you seen any walkers around?" She asked her boyfriend.

"Nope, none." He answered without missing a beat.

"Huh. Didn't expect it to be such a ghost town."

"At least we've got a lucky break."

 _Forever the optimist._ "True. Maybe herds don't pass through here very often. It's pretty remote, after all." Clementine offered a thoughtful response. "Why do you think this place was considered a popular tourist destination?" She then pondered aloud. "It had to be noteworthy, otherwise it wouldn't be on the map."

"Well, if I had to guess, I'd say it used to be an old mining town. But after resources dried up, they decided to take people on tours around the tunnels. You know, for educational purposes. I guess you could also go on nature trails too - there's plenty of forest - need to make a profit somehow if you're not going to chop it down. Who knows, maybe this area was really popular among the bird watching community. Maybe rare birds nested here - fucking yellow spotted warblers or some shit."

She chuckled at how rapidly his speculations had degraded into nonsense. "I wish I could've visited when it was thriving, then I would know what all the fuss was about."

"Me too. There are quite a few places I wish I could've seen in their prime."

"Oh yeah? Like where?" She questioned, intrigued by his possible answer.

"Hollywood. Go into a couple of movie studios, see where all the magic happens." Louis replied. "What about you? Any other places you wish you'd seen?

"New York. Well- the Statue of Liberty to be specific. She's iconic."

"Maybe we should add those to the bucket list. They might still be in relatively good condition." He proposed. "Oh, we could raid the costume department, find a good built-in set, and make our own movies!"

"Sounds like a plan to me. I'm sure Mexico can wait a little while longer." Clementine agreed, thrilled by his enthusiasm. Her attention was then snagged by the padlock falling off the shutter door. Surprised, she scooped it off the ground and proudly showed it to Louis. "Hey look, I did it!"

"Whoa. I thought we were going to be standing out here like a bunch of lemons for the next four to six hours."

She scowled and shoved the padlock into her pocket. "Nice to know you had so much faith in me, Louis."

"I- I- I mean- I knew you could do it, honey." He stuttered, his misstep followed by a sheepish smile.

"Uh huh, yeah, that's real convincing." She remarked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Come on, let's get inside."

The shutter was almost impossible to lift. The two adults had to enlist AJ's help to get it a measly halfway open.

"What a workout." Louis groaned, mopping the sweat from his brow.

"At least we'll sleep easy tonight." Clementine said, hoping to put a positive spin on such a back breaking task. She then crawled under the shutter, and pried open the glass double doors. Louis and AJ followed suit, leaving the shutter for the time being, in order to let some natural light into the otherwise dark shop.

Her heart sank when she saw the bare display cases and destitute aisles. "It's empty? Seriously?!" Her boyfriend cried, furious at their rotten luck.

"Looks like they cleared out most of their shelves on day one and never bothered to restock." She made a keen observation, whilst brushing her finger across a thick layer of dust.

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Check the back room, maybe there's some supplies leftover - stuff they never sold before they bailed. AJ and I will see what we can scrounge up in here." She instructed, hoping to keep him calm and focused before his frustration reached boiling point.

Louis gritted his teeth and stomped towards the door that was clearly marked 'Employees Only'. He kicked it open and vanished into the shadows.

"Do you think this beef jerky will be any good?" AJ asked, showing off a few discarded packets he had found littering one of the bottom shelves.

"Hmm, maybe. Hold on to them for now."

Clementine walked over to the pet section, where she discovered three cans of dog food. She sighed and stashed away her find. _Maybe if we get desperate enough._

Louis returned much faster than she would have liked. She knew bad news was awaiting her, and yet she still dared to ask. "Well, what's the verdict?"

"Nothing back there except cleaning stuff and junk the employees left behind." He stated, bitterness plaguing his tone. He then approached AJ, who was in the middle of searching a broken vending machine. "I did find these, though. Here you go, little man, they're all yours." The young man retrieved two energy bars from his coat pocket, and handed them to AJ.

"Thanks, Louis!"

Seeing AJ smile seemed to lift Louis' spirit, causing his face to brighten up. "No problem, buddy."

AJ scampered off, likely wanting to dig into his new snack. Unaware that Clementine was watching, her boyfriend sneakily swiped a bottle of rum from the alcohol section. He briefly admired his discovery, before tucking it away in his backpack.

Amused, the young woman chose not to address it, despite catching him in the act. Instead, she hopped over the counter and checked the cash register. Money was worthless in terms of trade, but it was useful for tinder, and they were going to be starting plenty of fires as winter crept ever closer. Unfortunately, the only thing left in the till was loose change.

"Have you ever had a cigarette?" Louis piped up.

Clementine looked over in his direction, noticing that he had swiped a packet of cigarettes off the tiled floor. _Midnight Kiss_ , that appeared to be the name of the brand, from what she could make out on the label. "No, never."

"I've always wanted to try one. My dad used to smoke these super fancy cigars. Kept them in a silver case, and only brought them out for special occasions. No idea why, I mean, they're all the same, right? A cigarette is a cigarette. Just a bunch of nicotine and... Other stuff."

The young woman shrugged. "I guess."

"Would you like to have a smoke with me?"

"Sure, why not."

Louis unceremoniously tore open the packet, and produced two cigarettes from within. He handed one to Clementine, and shrugged off his backpack, in order to dig out a match box.

It took four fast, haphazard strokes before a miniature flame erupted from the tip of the match. Louis went first, and lit his cigarette, which he held tightly between pursed lips.

Clementine awkwardly pinched her cigarette between her thumb, index and middle finger, clearly demonstrating her lack of expertise. Her boyfriend guarded the sacred fire with his hand, and brought the match closer to light hers.

The two grinned, their first inhale of what they believed would be calming bliss perfectly synchronised. Clementine breathed deep for far too long, and began to cough violently - smoke pouring from her nose and mouth, resembling that of a ferocious dragon.

Louis failed to stifle a laugh, he practically howled at her misfortune. However, his typical jovial response did not last long, as he too began to have a visceral reaction. Giggles turned to wheezes, as smoke choked his previously untainted lungs.

"That is vile." Clementine muttered through feeble attempts to clear her throat. Louis bobbed his head in agreement, unable to speak. Despite her comment, she still took another drag, half convinced that the experience would magically improve if she gave it a second chance.

It did not.

"Oh god. W-why would anyone smoke these?"

"No idea." Louis coughed. "I think they're supposed to help you de-stress? But uh... It ain't working."

"Can I try one?" AJ requested, reappearing from the shadows with fistfuls of wrappers and crumbs around his lips.

"No way, these things are bad for you." Clementine shook her head violently.

"Then why do you get to try them?"

"Because we're adults, and sometimes, we like to take risks. Live and learn, and all that." Louis explained, before he descended into one last coughing fit. "Alright, that's enough of that." He said, whilst extinguishing his cigarette on the counter.

Clementine simply flicked hers away. "Let's never do that again."

"Amen."

"Well, looks like there's not much else to see down here. Wanna check the flat upstairs?" She asked.

"May as well." Louis replied. He then tucked the torn open cigarette packet into his bag, probably to keep it as a souvenir.

A warm, disgusting odour was the first thing to hit them once they entered the stairwell. The stench was so powerful, it was almost vomit inducing. Louis gagged, and turned to Clementine for guidance. "Do you think we've got a live one?"

"Seems like it." She muttered.

She took the lead, retrieving her knife and venturing up the steps first. The door to the flat was unlocked, but no walker immediately jumped out at them. There were limited places to hide, since at first glance, there only appeared to be a bedroom, bathroom, and the semblance of a kitchen. But the smell had gotten stronger, and was starting to make Clementine's eyes water.

A gurgle came from across the far corner. She rounded the single bed, only to lay eyes on a heart-wrenching sight.

A rotting corpse lay sprawled out on the floor. Its frame was wire thin, skin and flesh had peeled away to reveal bone. The summer blouse it wore was faded and tarnished. Clumps of golden blonde hair dangled from its head. The walker moaned, unable to drag itself towards her. It spent the majority of its energy lifting its arm.

"Holy shit. She's been here for a long time." Louis whispered, appalled but also deeply saddened.

"I'll take care of it."

Clementine slowly approached the walker, just as a precautionary measure. However, it was so weak, it could barely open and close its fist, as it clawed hungrily at the air. She lifted her boot, and stepped down on the walker's head. A sickening crunch bounced off the walls - its skull caved with such ease, akin to squashing a cockroach.

The young woman retreated from the corpse, and scuffed her shoe on the carpet, in an attempt to wipe off the gore. That's when she noticed that a glassy eye had popped from its socket. However, she was numb to such grotesque imagery, and was not shaken by the encounter, nor even phased.

"I'll dump the body outside." Louis offered. He then proceeded to walk over, and scooped up the dead walker. Thick, dark, maroon coloured blood, and grey brain matter leaked from its gaping head wound - spilling over Louis' hands and sleeves. His nose wrinkled in disgust, but he committed to his role, and carted the body out of the room as quickly as possible.

"It's super cramped in here." AJ commented. "And this bed is gross." He added, gesturing at the stained sheets.

"We'll strip it down to the mattress and use our bedrolls." Clementine stated.

"But it stinks in here. How are we supposed to sleep?"

"I saw some air fresheners in the shop. We'll spray a couple of those. Hopefully they'll drown out the smell."

"Yeah. Hopefully." AJ muttered, annoyed by their predicament.

"Hey, cheer up, kiddo. I know it's not much to look at, but let's make the most of it, okay?"

* * *

Moonlight flitted through the partially open window, offering a small light source to ward off the creeping shadows. Louis stood beside it, inhaling the cool, fresh air. The flat had been fumigated with artificial fragrances - the scent of honey, lime, and lavender wafted around them - such a powerful aroma, that Clementine could taste it on her tongue.

And yet, despite emptying several cans of spray, that horrible, deathly odour still clung to their bodies.

She approached Louis, with the intention of discussing sleeping arrangements with him. "The bed is a single." She began, getting straight to the point.

"Really? I hadn't noticed. Thanks, Captain Obvious." He replied with a harmless jab.

Unfortunately for him, Clementine wasn't in a particular mood for jokes. "Look, it's not going to fit three people. It'll barely fit two. So one of us is going to have to sleep on the floor."

"You and AJ should share it." He suggested, without so much as a second thought.

An exasperated gasp clawed its way out of her throat. "Why do you always do this, Louis?"

"Do what?"

"Give yourself the short end of the stick, just for mine or AJ's sake." She explained her frustration. "You've been carrying him all day, you deserve to sleep in a proper bed. Especially since you're the one that found this place."

"I'm sure you would've found something better. Besides, you can't seriously hate me for wanting to put you and AJ first. All I want is for you two to be comfortable. To be safe. Would you prefer it if I was selfish and heartless - if I put my needs before your own?" He questioned.

"I'd prefer it if you gave yourself a break every once in a while. You're human too."

"Can we not start an argument over this, please?" He practically begged. "This shouldn't be a big deal. It's just for one night. I'll throw my bedroll in the bathtub and make do. Sure, it'll be rough, but I'll sleep soundly knowing that you and AJ are getting a full night's rest."

Clementine sighed and massaged her temple, knowing she was fighting a losing battle. "You're infuriating sometimes."

"I know." Louis whispered, a devious smile decorating his lips, as he leaned in and kissed her delicately on the cheek. He then shuffled past her, his sights set on the front door. "I'm going to chill on the stairwell for a bit. Care to join me?"

"It would be my pleasure. I just need to tuck AJ in first." She replied.

"Fair enough. I shall await your arrival with bated breath, my lady." He declared, collecting his backpack, waving his coat tail like a cape, and dramatically bowing out of the room.

Clementine rolled her eyes, but failed to hide her smile. She then ventured over to the tiny kitchen, where AJ sat cross legged on the floor, engrossed in his book.

"Time for bed, kiddo." She told him.

"Aww, but I'm in the middle of a really good page!" He whined. "And I'm not even tired!" He continued to protest, whilst trying to combat the yawn that yearned to betray him.

"We've got another early start tomorrow, AJ. You can't stay up all night reading."

"Can you at least let me finish reading this chapter?" The young boy requested, puppy dog eyes in full affect.

"How many pages have you got left?"

He quickly skimmed through before answering. "Three."

"Fine. But go straight to bed once you're done." She instructed.

AJ's face beamed with happiness. "Thank you, Clem."

"No problem. Now, if you need me, I'll be out on the stairwell with Louis." Clementine stated. AJ didn't appear to be listening anymore, but she hoped he at least partly absorbed that information.

She left him to his own devices, and drifted over to the front door. On the other side was Louis, sitting leisurely on the top step. He glanced over his shoulder as soon as he heard the door click shut.

"Hey, fancy seeing you here." Her boyfriend quipped.

"I know, right? Small world." She played along. She then nestled down beside him, and gently patted his leg.

"AJ doing okay?"

"He's fine. Claiming he's not tired. You know, the usual."

"Ha, he'll be out like a light in two seconds flat." Louis chuckled. His attention was briefly distracted by the pile of unwanted furniture they had stacked against the door, which resided on the ground floor. They had found a key on the dead walker, allowing them to lock that barricaded door, but it was better to be safe than sorry. They had fully closed the shutter, and tied their alarm system around a couple of lamp posts as well. The trio had turned this corner shop into a mighty fortress. "It's nice, not needing anyone on lookout duty. Finally gives us some time to relax."

"Yeah. I wish it could always be like this."

"Maybe it could be someday." He said, a hopeful twinkle in his chocolatey brown eyes. "Maybe when we get to Mexico, we'll meet up with a group of survivors, and they'll rope us in. Help us. Protect us."

"Maybe." Clementine muttered, her voice hollow. She was incapable of picturing a future like that, but refused to dampen his spirits with her pessimistic outlook. Not after yesterday.

"I'm sorry this place wasn't stacked up with food. It looked really promising from the outside." He apologised. This minor blunder was evidently eating away at his psyche, as he couldn't seem to let it go.

"You don't have to apologise, you couldn't have known. It was still worth checking out, and we did find a couple of things. Plus the shelter is an added bonus."

"True, true. Can't wait to tuck into that dog food!" Louis joked, a laugh sprinkled into his otherwise helpless statement. "There is one particular silver lining-" He paused for dramatic effect, and reached into his bag, producing the bottle of rum he had smuggled earlier. "-I did get this."

Clementine's heart skipped a beat, her adventurous spirit reigniting. "Now we're talking."

He raised his eyebrow and offered her a coy smile. "Oh, so you want some?"

"You bet I do." She said, brandishing a smirk.

"I like your style, Clem."

However, she was swift to dial back her enthusiasm, in order to set some ground rules. "We probably shouldn't drink too much, though. Need to stay frosty, just in case."

"Don't worry, I know how to drink responsibly." Louis stated, his head held high.

"Yes, because when I look at you, the first thing that springs to mind is 'responsible'." She teased.

"I don't like your tone, missy." He responded playfully. "Enough chit chat, let's crack this bad boy open." He continued, cutting to the chase. Thankfully, they didn't need a bottle opener, as all he had to do was unscrew the cap. Once it was off, Louis brought the bottle up to his nose and took a big whiff. "Hmm, smells good."

Clementine leaned closer and inhaled that delicious, fruity smell. "Really good."

"Here, ladies first." He kindly offered her the first taste sample.

"Aw, such a gentleman."

"Someone needs to check if it's poisoned. I'd say you make a good guinea pig."

The young woman glared at him - but since she lacked a witty comeback, she opted to drink the rum instead.

"Well, how is it?" He asked.

The alcohol was sweet, with a spicy twang, which made her taste buds dance. "It's good, I like it. Here, you try."

Louis eagerly accepted the bottle - he almost snatched it out her hands - and took a large gulp. After he swallowed, he waited for a few seconds, to fully analyse and assess the taste, before giving his verdict. "Hm, not bad, considering it's the cheap stuff."

He traded it back to her, and she took another swig. "We're covering quite a few bases today; cigarettes, alcohol, what's next?"

"Let's really live on the edge and do some hard core drugs." He suggested, without a trace of irony.

Clementine scoffed. "That's a little bit extreme." She was thinking of something more… Romantic. Passionate. Lustful. However, she wasn't shocked by her boyfriend's cluelessness.

"Sure, you're against it now, but just you wait. The night is still young, and so are we. Anything is possible." He said, in a rather whimsical and absurd manner. He then swiped the rum off of her again, and threw back a large gulp.

"Ugh, then why do I feel so old?" She groaned. Twenty one wasn't supposed to be ancient, but it had been such a massive slog to get here.

"Because you're wise beyond your years."

An embarrassing, pig-esque snort erupted from her nostrils.

"I'm serious! You're not old, you're just experienced." Louis explained his mindset, his words heartfelt and sincere.

"Why thank you." She said, and did a glamorous curtsy from her seated position.

The couple took turns drinking more of the rum, before Louis piped up with a question, whilst simultaneously trying to stifle a burp. "Tell me, Clem, in all your years of experience, have you ever tried alcohol before?"

"I have. Once." She answered through a small hiccup.

"Oh yeah? How old were you?"

"Eleven."

Louis spat his drink. "Eleven?! Jesus, Clem, you didn't strike me as an underage drinker!"

"It was just a sip!" Clementine cried.

"Don't lie! You've been pounding shots for years!" Her boyfriend teased. "Come on, gimme all the details, then. Who was your enabler?"

"My _enabler_ was this guy, Nick. He lost his uncle only a few hours before we ended up stuck together. We were trapped in a tiny shed, surrounded by walkers. There was this... crazy, elaborate machine. I think he called it a 'still'. Doesn't matter - point is, there were jars of whiskey all over the place, and Nick, he just... Drank himself into a coma. Or tried to, rather. When the booze stopped numbing the pain, he started throwing empty jars around instead. Eventually, I talked him down, and he offered me some. We made a toast to his uncle, 'the nicest, mean old bastard' he ever knew. I coughed most of it up, since it was pretty gross, but... I did make him laugh." The tiniest of smiles crept across her face, but that expression disappeared quicker than it arrived.

Louis approached the next subject delicately. "You've never talked about him before. What happened?"

Her brow became knitted with sorrow, as her last memory of Nick flashed through her mind. Swollen, bleeding bites. Tangled wire. Empty, lifeless eyes. "Last time I saw him, he was caught on a fence, covered in bites. He turned before we got there, so I... 'took care of him'."

"Christ. What an awful way to go."

"You can say that again. God- it was horrible. I had to swing my hatchet a few times to finish the job. He just- he wouldn't stop moving-" She stopped, more memories flooding back. A silver, jagged axe, glinting in the sunlight. Nick's loose, dangling jaw. Sliced flesh. Exposed brain. _I butchered him like an animal._ She thought, her expression switching from sorrow to anguish. "He deserved so much better."

Clementine copied her memories of Nick, by tossing her head back and gulping down more booze. The rules she herself had setup had been essentially thrown out the window. After her gigantic swig, she wiped her mouth on her sleeve and took a deep, cleansing breath. "What about you? Have you ever had alcohol before?" She quizzed, hoping- praying, that his answer would be more light hearted.

"Yeah, when I was sixteen."

"Ha, and you gave me shit for being underage."

"I was five years older than you when I started!" He rebutted.

"Still underage." She rightfully pointed out.

"Whatever, let's not get caught up on the semantics. I'm trying to tell a story." Louis brushed aside her comments, in order to begin his elaborate tale. "So anyway, it was actually my sixteenth birthday. Marlon found a bottle of wine stashed in the headmaster's desk, and was saving it for a special occasion. His best friend's birthday seemed like as good a time as any, and we were, y'know, old _enough_. In the end, we got fucking wasted. Just completely black out drunk. I don't remember anything from that night, but it was probably the best birthday ever."

"I bet all the vomiting on the following day wasn't as fun though, right?" Clementine guessed.

"Oh yeah, I was puking into a bucket for hours. But it was totally worth it."

The alcohol was starting to take full affect. It had been subtle at first, but the young woman was starting to notice changes more and more. The tension in her body had melted away, whilst a calm, gentle, warm sensation was blossoming from her stomach, and rippling throughout her core.

She was being flooded by this bizarre, and yet welcoming sense of contentment. Her only hope was that this false happiness would last.

"Psshh." Louis scoffed at himself.

After briefly zoning out, her first instinct was to give him a puzzled look, before questioning him on his outburst. "What's up?"

"Nothing. Just something stupid I thought of." He said, his voice flat, whilst his gaze deterred.

"Tell me." She whispered, resting her hand on his, longing to coax out the words he dared not speak.

Her boyfriend hesitated, his lips pursed. Eventually, the words began to flow like a trickling river. "Talking about Marlon got me thinking about the school and... I remembered something Tenn used to ask me. He'd say 'Do you think the walkers will ever just go away?'..." He trailed off, and slammed another shot of rum. However, he visibly did not enjoy this swig, and almost let it dribble out of his mouth. "I never knew how to answer him. But they have to die out eventually, right? I mean- that girl earlier couldn't even move."

"I think- as long as there's people, they'll always be walkers. It's becoming harder and harder to stop yourself from turning. No matter how many dead heads we kill, they'll always be someone out there dying alone, unable to destroy their own brain, and adding to the surplus. It's just something we have to deal with now."

The young man sighed and pounded more rum. "I was afraid you'd say that."

Silence followed. It was thick, heavy, suffocating. But Louis needed a minute or two, in order to process her words. She was more than happy to give him that time alone with his thoughts.

After a while, he cleared his throat and fiddled mindlessly with the bottle cap. "So, are you going to tell me why AJ was acting so strange today?"

"He's worried we don't like each other anymore." She admitted.

"W-what? Why would he think that?" Louis questioned, clearly baffled.

"Because he heard our argument yesterday."

"The one before or after dinner?"

"Both."

"Oh, perfect." He muttered, shaking his head glumly.

"He thinks that, if we ever were to split up, you would leave." She explained further.

"And what did you tell him?"

"The truth." Clementine stated. "I told him that we weren't going to split up, and even if we did, you wouldn't abandon us over something so petty."

"Good, that- that's good." He breathed a shaky sigh of relief. "Do you think I should talk to him about it too?"

"No, I think I managed to get through to him. Plus, I don't think he wanted you to know."

"Oh, well, okay then."

The young woman clutched her trouser legs in her white knuckled grasp, and bit her lip so hard she feared it might bleed. "...You would never actually leave, would you?"

"Of course not!" Louis cried in alarm. "I would never stop caring about you, even if we ended our relationship. You're not just my girlfriend, you're my best friend, Clementine. I adore you. Nothing could ever change that." He shuffled closer, and touched her cheek. "In fact, I'll prove it to you."

"Prove it? Louis, what are you talking about-"

"Shush, I'm trying to be romantic." He silenced her, by pressing his finger to her lips. He then began rummaging in his bag. "Now where did I put it...?"

"Clem?" AJ's muffled voice called out. She tried to ignore him, until he shouted again. "Clem?!"

"Hold that thought, I'll be right back." Clementine jumped to her feet, but almost lost her balance. Standing up so fast was definitely a mistake, and made her feel woozy.

"But-" Her boyfriend protested.

"Just one second." She insisted, before hurrying back into the flat. Inside, she found AJ curled up in his sleeping bag - Kenny's hat resting on the floor. "Hey kiddo, what's wrong?"

"I can't sleep. You and Louis are being really loud." AJ replied.

"Oh sorry, AJ, I didn't realise." She apologised. _Gosh, am I slurring my words? I hope not. I'm such a bad influence._

"When are you coming to bed?" He asked, unable to prevent himself from yawning.

"Soon, buddy, real soon, I promise." She responded. She reached out, and softly cradled his cheek. "Try to get back to sleep, Louis and I will keep the noise down, and be with you in no time at all."

"Okay, Clem."

"Goodnight. Sleep tight. Don't let a walker bite. And if they try?" Clementine conducted their age old ritual.

AJ created a gun using his fingers, and fired an imaginary bullet. "Bang."

She ruffled his hair and kissed him on the forehead. The young boy smiled, and then rolled over, shutting his eyes tight. Once he was relaxed, she returned to Louis in the stairwell. "Alright, where were we?"

"Oh, hey, Clem. I uh, think I'm going to call it a night. I'm not feeling great, I had way too much to drink." He explained, sheepishly avoiding her gaze. "I'm going to vacate to my five-star luxury suite."

"You're sick?" She asked. He did look uneasy on his feet… And slightly pale. She bridged the gap between them, and held the back of her hand up to his forehead, in order to check his temperature. "But what did you want to tell me?"

"It can wait until tomorrow." He evaded the question, and flinched away from her touch. Before she could even process what was happening, he gave her one last kiss, and hurried off. "Goodnight, my darling. Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Lou." She managed to croak out, but only after he was long gone.

* * *

Clementine lay awake, tossing and turning. Her mood was still riding high thanks to over consumption, causing her mind to buzz and making sleep impossible. Despite her inebriated, muddled thoughts running wild, there was one singularity.

Louis.

His smile. His laugh. The sensentation of his touch. It made her quiver with sheer delight.

She longed to snuggle up beside him. Last night, after their argument, they had slept separately. Louis never even came upstairs, he just… Crashed on the couch.

Why did she want him so desperately now?

 _I shouldn't bother him. He said he was sick, so I doubt he even wants to see me._ Clementine rationalised. _I don't really buy it, though. He got cold feet and made up an excuse, to avoid whatever he was trying to 'prove'. Still, he wants his privacy. I should respect that._

And yet her entire body was screaming at her, willing her to give into temptation and leap head first into the fray.

Eventually, restlessness drove her out of bed. Her legs were reduced to jelly, making the simple task of walking difficult. However, she powered through, and stumbled through the dark, towards her destination.

Clementine still wasn't quite sure what led her to the bathroom. Was it her own selfish cravings or the strumming of chords?

She grasped the cold, metal knob, and twisted it, allowing the door to creak open. This room was a tight squeeze, with hardly enough space to swing a cat. The toilet looked diseased, and the cracked mirror above the sink was covered in a thick layer of grime and dust. Toothpaste, skin care bottles, and soap lined an mounted shelf. On the blue tiled floor lay a tattered, green, faded rug. However, the star attraction was Louis, who sat on the edge of the bathtub, pale moonlight - shining through a distorted, oval window - illuminating his tired eyes and ghoulish figure.

His guitar was nestled on his lap as he softly played and sang along, tapping his foot to the rhythm. Although barely audible - his voice was smooth, inviting - as mellifluous as the whistle from a nightingale. Meanwhile, the instrument was clearly out of tune, and yet... The song sounded hauntingly beautiful.

"In all my dreams, dear, you seem to leave me

When I awake my poor heart pains

So when you come back and make me happy

I'll forgive you dear, I'll take all the blame

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are gray

You'll never know dear, how much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away."

He stopped once he laid eyes on her, and quickly laid down his guitar. "Hi, Clementine." He cooed, treating her to a dazzling, toothy smile. The way he uttered her name sent shivers down her spine.

"Hi. Feeling better?" She asked. Her cheeks were growing warm. She half expected him to comment on how fiery red they had become.

He didn't seem to notice. "Yeah. Playing helps. It's soothing."

She fought the urge to jump into his arms, and steadily approached him. Once within touching distance, she unzipped her body warmer and allowed it to fall to the floor.

"Wait, what are you-" He began, but she silenced him with a kiss. His scent was overpowering - those traces of mahogany, charcoal and pine were like a highly addictive drug. She brushed her cheek against his - beard bristles scratched her face, as she moved towards his ear. Her hot breath carried feverish whispers. She told him her wants. Her needs. Her desires.

Clementine pulled away, to see his reaction. Louis appeared shell-shocked, but that temporary lapse of alarm morphed into a knowing, albeit nervous, look.

"Are you sure?" He whispered, delicately stroking an ebony, black ringlet out of her eyes.

She nodded, a lump caught in her throat, her ability to speak vanishing into the night.

No more words needed to be said.

He kissed her sloppily, catching the tip of her nose and upper lip. She could taste the rum on his tongue. He kept going, planting more kisses on her cheeks, then chin, before sliding down to her neck.

The young woman's hands trembled with anticipation as she broke away and clumsily peeled off her hoodie. Her boyfriend kindly assisted. Once removed, she threw it over her shoulder, and knocked off her hat in the process. Louis wriggled out of his coat and ditched it in the bath. They locked lips once again, and melted onto the ground. Their hands roamed each other's backs and tangled hair, as their embrace grew tighter.

An oddly timed, but comforting, pleasant memory resurfaced. She remembered her heart pumping in her chest, the adrenaline coursing through her veins, the sweat pooling on her forehead, after she cracked the ensnared walker's skull open with Louis' makeshift bat. The red liquid that oozed from the piñata definitely wasn't candy.

She remembered how close he got. She remembered how much she wanted to relive that moment, and kiss him then.

His youthful voice and powerful philosophy rang like a gong, and echoed through her mind. _There's only one guarantee: this moment. That's the only thing you got, only thing any of us got. Might as well enjoy it._

…

The events happening in the present brought her back to reality. The bathroom floor was bone chilling, while Louis' kisses were hot and unrelentingly.

He gripped her hands, their fingers interlocked, melded together.

Did he ever think about those bygone days? Those nuggets of wisdom he spouted? Or was he only haunted by painful memories?

 _Shut up, Clem. Stop thinking._ She told herself. _Enjoy this._

_**Louis. Let's live a little.** _


	3. Paved with Death

"...Alright, press down on the clutch and move the stick shift into first gear." Clementine instructed.

Louis nodded, easing his foot onto the clutch, whilst removing one hand from the leather steering wheel and adjusting the stick shift accordingly.

She smiled at his progress. "Good. Now, if you wanted to set off, you would lower the handbrake." She explained, and patted the aforementioned handbrake. "But since we don't want to roll away, we're not going to do that."

Louis snorted, but was swift to disguise it with a cough. His face was masked with a _super serious_ expression, in order to impress his driving instructor.

Clementine cleared her throat, attempting not to laugh. "Instead, we'll focus on the next step. To get moving you have to slowly take pressure off the clutch _and_ press the accelerator simultaneously."

His forehead and nose wrinkled as he stuck out his tongue in concentration. He followed her guide to a T, and the stationary vehicle groaned in protest. If only the battery had some juice left, then maybe the duo could kick this tutorial up a notch.

"Perfect! Great job, Louis. You're really getting the hang of this." She complimented, impressed by his tenacity.

"Thanks, Clem. I had a magnificent teacher." Louis replied, and winked in her direction.

Butterflies swarmed in her stomach and her cheeks blushed. "We'll upgrade you to a working car someday." She said, brushing aside his obvious flirting.

Louis fiddled with the steering wheel and spouted a few engine noises. _Vroom vroom. Brum brum. Nyoom nyoom. Screeeeeeech._ He pretended to twist round a narrow bend. After that, he switched out of play mode and addressed her statement. "Yeah, then we'll be able to take driving in shifts. And make sure you don't crash it."

"Hey, that was a one time thing!" She rebutted, annoyed by his teasing.

Louis laughed, sporting a sly smirk. "So... Finding a working car. How do you rate our chances?" He asked, moving on from his cheeky remark in effort not to get slapped.

"I'd say we're more likely to see a flying pig."

"Wow, such optimism." He commented sarcastically, another laugh escaping him. "Y'know, I'd like to get my hands on a nice convertible. Put the top down, feel the sun on my face and the wind in my hair, while we cruise along country lanes."

Clementine folded her arms and reclined back in the passenger seat. "I'd like a big truck, fortified with armour and barbed wire and spikes, so that we could ram any walkers in our path."

"Alright. Let's agree to split the diff. You get all the cool weapons, and I get..." He trailed off, and lightly pounded his fists on the dashboard, wracking his brain for a solution. "Um... Well, could I at least have a sunroof?"

"Sure, Lou, you can have a sunroof." She honoured his request, and treated him to a warm smile.

"Score!" He cried, and began shuffling around in the driver seat. A tiny, awkward victory dance. The whole charade last for about five seconds, until he got bored. "How's AJ doing?" He questioned, hoping for a short status update.

Clementine glanced over her shoulder, to see AJ curled up in the backseat, wrapped in a cozy red blanket and sleeping peacefully. "He's passed out. Poor little guy. That hike today sure wasn't easy."

"Shame. I wanted to show him my new skills." Louis muttered, gripping the steering wheel once more, and spinning it to his heart's content. The boy shared a lingering glance with the world beyond the foggy, brittle window, before returning his attention to Clementine. "Do you want to step outside for a bit?"

Her brow creased into a frown. "What about AJ?"

"We'll be ten minutes. Tops. And we won't go far. Promise." He replied, soothing her worries.

The girl chewed on her lip, splitting a small scab and drawing blood. "Alright. But the car doesn't leave our line of sight." She stated her demands.

Louis nodded in agreement. "Got it."

He yanked the metal handle, and the door sprang open, flooding the car with a frost bitten wind. He jumped out, slammed the door behind him and disappeared into the night. Clementine followed, throwing her door open and hopping out, joining her companion in the unknown.

The orange, rusted park ranger SUV was situated on a vast hill, which had been quite difficult to climb earlier that day. Their temporary shelter had a cartoon raccoon displayed on its side, but the paint was starting to flake off, leaving him partially erased. The park's mascot wore a bright, beaming, oddly human smile and waved enthusiastically with four digit fuzzy hands. At least that piece was unshaken by the tests of time.

Clementine held a staring contest with the raccoon, before eyeing the shattered wing mirrors and deflated tires, which were tangled with thick vegetation. _This thing's seen better days. But at least the interior is still intact._

She noticed Louis' silhouette in her peripheral vision, but ultimately decided to trade one last look with AJ. She peered through the window at the six year old's sleeping form, and a calmness bled from her steady beating heart. _He'll be fine._ She told herself, in order to settle whatever nagging doubts remained.

The girl ventured over to Louis, who was standing on the edge of the ridge, overlooking the large, sprawling lake. The fresh, tall grass - decorated with raindrops from a storm - brushed against her legs, soaking her trousers, as well as chilling her sore muscles and aching bones.

The boy turned to her, his eyes sparkling in the starlight. "Clem, come over here. You gotta see this."

"And risk falling to my death? No thank you." She replied.

"Relax. It's fine. Watch." He said, and stamped his foot on the uneven ground. She cringed, petrified that the earth would collapse and he would be swallowed by the abyss. However, no such event occurred - only sediment, practically invisible to the naked eye, plummeted to their doom. "See? Perfectly safe. Besides, if you fell off here you'd probably just break your leg."

"Oh great. That makes me feel so much better." Clementine scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"What are you, chicken?" Louis questioned. He began clucking, pecking at invisible bread crumbs with his nose, and flapping his elbows like a hen.

"Ugh, fine. But if I die, I'm making sure walker Clem eats you first." She admitted defeat, but prefaced it with a stern warning. She carefully moved closer, taking light steps, until her toes were almost hanging over the cliff. Seeing the sheer drop with her own two eyes was nauseating and reduced her legs to quivering jelly. Vertigo set in, causing her body to sway like a fragile autumn leaf in the breeze.

Noticing her predicament, the boy swooped in with some helpful aid. "Here, take my hand." He offered, reaching out with an open palm. She lifted her hand and allowed it to hover over his. She was unsure on how to proceed. It had been many moons since they were this intimate, and Louis had never been so forward before. Could be she reading too much into his kind gesture?

Two words from him snapped Clementine out of her trance, and urged her to act. "Trust me."

The girl accepted. Their fingers became intertwined, causing her heartbeat to race. She could have sworn his pulse spiked too.

His hand was larger than hers, but they merged together snuggly, like two puzzle pieces. His skin was clammy, yet comforting. "I've got you." He said, gently squeezing her hand and keeping her body steady. He was like a boulder, unshakable and immovable. How could he be so relaxed at such dizzying heights? It was honestly mind boggling.

"Thank you." She uttered gratefully, meeting his watchful, tentative eyes.

"Nice view, huh?" Louis commented, gesturing at the nature reserve, after staring at her for far too long.

Clementine tore her gaze away from him and absorbed their surroundings. The full moon illuminated the rolling hills and towering pine trees with its delicate silver glow. Like a gigantic mirror, the lake below captured its reflection, containing it beneath the dark, rippling surface. Rainbow trout leaped from the depths, hoping to touch the sky and perhaps swallow a star. A flash of vibrant red fur caught her eye, as a fox trotted through the tall grass, either searching for an unsuspecting rabbit or looking to quench its thirst. To top it all off, the painting worthy setting was completed by an owl swooping overhead - its sharp yellow eyes tracing the landscape, in order to spot a tasty snack.

"It's breathtaking." She whispered, captivated by the peacefulness and tranquility. Although her survivors instinct was droning on about starting a fire, collecting water from the lake and purifying it. But that could wait until tomorrow.

The duo admired the scenery for a while and allowed nature to speak for itself. Eventually, their hands begrudgingly parted, and they retreated to the grass verge, where a small flower patch became their bed. Louis plucked a dandelion from its stem, and gave the white, fluffy seeds a hefty blow. They floated away, like a cluster of magical fairies. _Did you make a wish?_ She debated on asking, but did not follow through.

Clementine lay flat on her back, allowing the vast cosmos to fill and dance across her vision. The moon, a perfect, round silver sphere held her attention for a fleeting moment, before it was snagged by the colourful display - purple, blue and black, endlessly swirling and shifting, like an artist's paint palette. Stars littered this canvas, hundreds upon thousands, burning with ferocity and raw power. Some had only just begun their cycle, while others were dying, their light snuffed out forever. Space was as intimidating as it was spectacular.

"The sky is beautiful tonight." She uttered, expelling a dreamy sigh.

"Yeah. Beautiful." He murmured, despite his chocolatey brown eyes being fixated on her.

Clementine felt her face redden and radiate with heat. However, before she could string a single sentence together, Louis filled the air with his voice. "Back at the school, Violet used to sneak off to the old bell tower. I always suspected that she went up there to stargaze." He explained, whilst removing a few lingering seeds and scattering them to the wind. Reduced to nothing but a green stalk, the dandelion was tossed aside without a moment's notice. "Sometimes, I like to think she's up there now, among the stars she loved so much. Watching over us. Guiding us. Protecting us."

The ghost of a smile tugged at Clementine's lips. "That's a nice thought."

"That one right there. That's her." He stated, directing his finger to a twinkling star, which wasn't particularly remarkable in terms of size, but compensated with its unwavering shine. A perfect choice for Violet.

She sat up and shifted uncomfortably. The topic was starting to weigh heavily on them both... And yet Louis persisted. "Do you remember that card game we played, the first night we met?"

"Vaguely."

"I do. I've replayed that night in my head a thousand times. It was one of the last times where everything was... Normal." He muttered, a pained expression overwhelming his features. "Violet asked you a fucked up question. 'Out of the four of us, who do you think is gonna die first?' And you said 'Louis. Definitely.' Violet and Marlon agreed. Even I agreed. The vote was unanimous."

"That was just a joke. You know I didn't mean it." She insisted. "I would never intend to hurt you, and I'm sorry if I did."

"That's not the point!" The boy snapped, slightly agitated by her lack of awareness.

She was taken aback by his outburst. However, regret soon emerged, becoming tightly woven across his furrowed brow. "S-sorry. It's just… Look around you, Clementine. Half of the people who were at that table are _dead_. The people who weren't even a part of that game are dead too! First it was Brody. Then Marlon. Then Vi. And it never stopped. One after another, they just... Fuck-" He choked up, and his eyes glistened with tears. He blinked rapidly and fought hard to swallow the rising sob. "I'll be the last to die. The kid who did nothing but tell stupid jokes and dodge every responsibility. How many of my friends did I crawl over to survive?"

"Louis..." Clementine touched his hand, igniting a spark between them. "You didn't use anyone to survive. You got lucky. All three of us did. That's all. None of your friends deserved to die. But neither do you. You're allowed to live, despite what happened to them."

"But it feels so wrong. Are we- are we even allowed to be happy?" Louis asked, his voice cracking.

That was certainly a loaded question. "I think that... The people we've lost would want us to be happy. Live life to the fullest, in honour of their memory." She stated, answering him to the best of her ability.

The boy trembled as he let out a lengthy sigh. "I'm lucky to have you, Clem. You and AJ. I don't know where I'd be if you weren't here." He attempted to lock eye contact, but his skittish gaze shifted to the damp soil instead. "When everything turned to shit, I was in a dark place. I just wanted to lay down and die. But you pulled me out of that darkness. You were my light, my hope, my beacon. And I'm eternally grateful for that."

"You make it sound so one sided. You did a hell of a lot for me too." Clementine reminded him.

"Really?" His eyes widened. "I had no idea."

"Finding a way to make you smile, seeing the old Louis come back piece by piece… It brought me so much joy. Once you started telling jokes again, I knew somehow, some way, everything would be okay."

"I'm glad. Making you laugh is my greatest achievement." Louis admitted, a tiny smile beginning to surface. She couldn't stop staring at his face. His freckles were just like the stars above. Was he crafted from the fabric of reality itself? She often believed that he was a gift from the universe. "Truth is, Clem... There's something I've been meaning to tell you for a long time, but I never had the strength to say it."

"Lou... Whatever you want to say, you don't have to be afraid. You can tell me anything." Clementine told him, in a quiet, gentle, soothing tone.

He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Alright, well, just bear with me one sec." He said, taking a deep, cleansing breath. "Ok, um… So, on nights like these, I think about the people we've lost. Maybe Vi isn't the only one up there. Maybe they all have their own star… Point is, they were taken away from us before they could reach their prime. And it makes me wonder if maybe we're on borrowed time. Our clock is ticking away. Who knows when it'll stop. We've escaped death so many times, but our luck has to run out eventually. Maybe we'll die young too. Maybe one day I'll wake up, and you'll be gone." That awful possibility made him pause. "Tomorrow doesn't exist. Not yet. But when it does... I'm scared I'm going to lose you. I don't want to live to regret not telling you how I feel. All we have is today. And right now, I... I think I'm in love with you, Clem."

A strangled gasp escaped her. His confession rocked her to the very core. The lingering glances, warm touches, and secret pining… There had always been this unspoken bond, smothered by grief and regret, unable to grow and flourish. They could never find a good time to declare their true feelings, but now they no longer had to hide. They could finally be themselves. "Well, that's good because... I think I'm in love with you too, Louis."

The sob that burned in his chest ruptured, and he started to cry tears of pure joy and utter relief. He jerked his head away, but she grabbed his smooth, fur lined collar and pulled him into a kiss. The dam burst, causing hot tears to break free from her eyes and rush down her cheeks like a raging river. They wept openly in each other's arms, their first kiss a hopeless sloppy mess of longing, buried affection and heartbreak.

Clementine released Louis, but his head tilted forward slightly, as if to chase her, expecting it to last longer. Stifling her sobs, she tried to wipe her eyes and nose with her denim sleeves, but only succeeded in smearing mucus across her face.

The boy hesitated, clenching yellow dandelions and precious daisies in his white knuckled grasp. He was at a crossroad, torn between reaching out or staying silent. His decision could shape and change their lives forever. He rubbed his red, puffy eyes, lifted his hand off the grass and cradled her cheek. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me." He uttered.

Another wave of tears crashed onto her face. Louis pulled her in for a hug and planted a delicate kiss on her forehead, his nose pushing up the brim of her hat.

The couple melted into their embrace and curled up in the grass. They remained in that position for hours, until sunlight crept across the valley and a new day dawned.

* * *

Clementine had awoken from her peaceful slumber a while ago, and yet she dared not move. Louis was snuggled beside her, lost in deep sleep, his arm lazily draped over her torso. He seemed... perfectly content. It was so sweet and touching, and caused her heart to throb. Although she did find it rather hard to stifle a laugh, when staring at his gaping mouth and drool covered chin. She would let him doze like this forever if she could. She wanted nothing more.

 _I'll give him a few more minutes. He's definitely earned it._ She thought, taking in low, shallow breaths, keen on not disturbing him.

She tested her luck by tapping his arm. When he showed no signs of stirring, she began to gently stroke it, and ran her fingers across rough scars. These were markings on a map, documenting every hardship he had faced. She remembered explaining the origin of her dog bite, shoulder wound, cheek scar, and New Frontier brand to him the first time they did this. But Louis hadn't told many tales about his scars. Most of them were earned long after they met.

Eventually, her hand settled, and loosely gripped his wrist, as she examined their surroundings. Tendrils of light from the breaking dawn crept in through the window, warming her skin, and casting odd shadows on the tiled floor. It looked like a tornado had crashed through the bathroom. Clothes were littered and strewn across the floor, whilst her hat was dangerously close to the toilet bowl. She couldn't bear the thought of how many germs were festering in that area.

During their escapade, cleaning and self-care products had been sent flying, and the cracked mirror was damaged further. _Guess we got a little carried away._ She thought, embarrassment washing over her body like a tidal wave. _But I don't regret one single thing._

Sleeping beauty twitched, and grunt escaped his lips, followed by a snort. His eyelids fluttered open, causing him to be briefly assaulted by the blinding rays. He propped himself up, and yawned loudly as he stretched. After that, he flopped back into his original position.

"Good morning, sunshine." Louis greeted, a silky flavour to his otherwise groggy voice.

"Morning." She replied, welcoming him back to the waking world with a pleasant smile.

He kissed her cheek. He had a bad case of morning breath, and traces of alcohol still lingered on his lips. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah, considering." She answered, gesturing at their cramped, squashed environment with a small wave of her hand. Clementine had slept in worse conditions, so in comparison, the bathtub wasn't too bad. It was modest and serviceable, but definitely not comfy.

"You could've gone back to bed, you know. You didn't have to stay." Louis pointed out.

"And leave you all alone in this _smelly_ bathroom? No way. It was only fair if we endured it together."

"Mmm, how romantic." He cooed, squeezing her tighter, and planting an obscene amount of kisses on her neck. Clementine couldn't stop the chirpy giggle that burst from her chest.

Her boyfriend stopped, and began nuzzling his face against her shoulder. Although crusted with sleep, his eyes still glistened in the morning sun. Those two shimmering topazes oozed with affection, fondness, and devotion. "Last night was great." He whispered into her white blouse.

The events that took place mere hours ago caused a smile to tug at the corners of her lips. "Yeah it was." She agreed.

Louis cradled her hips, and absentmindedly traced circles with his thumb. "Haven't felt that way in a long time."

Clementine's cheeks burned and her heart drummed against her rib cage. _Am I... Am I really getting excited over this?_ She wondered. She didn't expect to get so heated over just mentioning it. She swallowed hard, and responded to his mumbling. "Me neither."

"Thank you, Clem, for making yesterday so special."

She chuckled. "Are you kidding me? I should be thanking you! You were the one being totally adventurous. I just followed your lead."

"Well then, I'm glad I've rubbed off on you so much. I knew this group was lacking in something."

"And what's that?" She dared to ask, even though she knew he was setting up a punchline.

"More me!" He cheered, a laugh punctuating his short sentence.

She was unable to stop herself from snorting. "One of you is enough."

"Aw, you don't mean that." Louis rebutted, swiftly followed by a playful smirk. "Just think, if there were... Say ten of me, then that's ten boyfriends, ready to serve, protect, and carry out your every whim. We'd treat you like a queen."

"Now I actually like the sound of that." Clementine mused. An army of boyfriends... So many possibilities.

"I knew you would." He said through an irresistible giggle. "Don't suppose you had any cool dreams while you were asleep, your highness?" He then quizzed.

The couple had gotten into the habit of asking each other about their dreams. It was a ritual that started back when one of them woke up at the midnight hour, screaming and dripping with sweat. Countless sleepless nights, spent shaking and weeping, held in Louis' arms...

Nowadays, it was just good fodder for light, harmless conversations.

"Funny you should mention it, because I did." The young woman answered.

"Was it the one about the T-Rex in a cowboy hat?" He asked. "Or- or the one where you turned into a mermaid?"

"No, this one was new and different." She replied. Her dreams were often extremely random, unbelievably stupid, and hazy to remember. However, this particular one was so fresh and vivid in her memory, and felt incredibly real.

His dark eyes glistened with an eager hunger to know more. "Alright, come on, don't keep me in suspense! Tell me what happened!"

"Okay, okay!" Clementine caved. She had been deliberately cagey, in the hopes of building mystery and suspense, but his impatience was preventing her from taking that route any further. Although she had come to expect this of him. "So. There were no walkers. Everything was completely normal, like the way it was before." She set the scene, enchanted by her perfectly mundane fantasy world. "You, me, and AJ, we were all together, living in this high-rise apartment, which was built in this HUGE, super loud, busy city. The flat wasn't anything fancy, y'know, but it wasn't like this place either. It was small, cozy. A proper family home. It was also the middle of summer, and we were too hot to sleep. In fact, it was a similar temperature to what we had to deal with this year."

"That was a nightmare." Louis chimed in. That heatwave was unbearable and seemingly endless, almost as if the gates of hell had opened up. They had been sweating buckets for weeks, and AJ greatly suffered, in fact he almost passed out during one occasion.

"Oh definitely." She bobbed her head in agreement. Hopefully winter wouldn't be as harsh, but she wasn't going to hold her breath. "Anyway- AJ scooted up to the TV in the living room and watched cartoons, while me and you went out onto the balcony to tend to our little flower garden. After that, we sat down, sipped on iced tea, turned on the radio and just watched the sunrise." Clementine finished, whilst her imagination continued to run wild. She could picture their apartment and every minuscule detail. Two bedrooms, a flawless marble kitchen, and spacious living room. The balcony, fitted with white upholstered seating and gorgeous lilies was the centrepiece. She remembered the dewdrops trickling down the leaves, and her dress fluttering in the gentle breeze. She remembered the ice floating on the surface of their matching drinks - sweetened with syrup and apple slices - and how Louis insisted on having a vibrant curly straw. She remembered his dazzling smile, as he stole a kiss, slipped on his sunglasses and tilted his head back.

Why couldn't it be real?

"Damn. Wish I could have been there." Her boyfriend sighed, airing his disappointment. "I mean- technically I was there, but that wasn't the real me. Stupid imposter, gets to relax, tend to his garden and enjoy iced tea." He grumbled.

Clementine chuckled half-heartedly, and caressed his freckled cheek. "Do you think in another life, if the walkers never existed, we would have met?"

Louis touched her hand and stroked her wrist. "I like to think so. Maybe we would have met up in college or uni. Gone into the drama club. Cast in the leading roles, as Romeo and Juliet."

"Don't they both die in the end?" She questioned. She was fairly certain that's how the plot unfolded, but then again, her faulty memory had betrayed her in the past.

"Yeah. But we would've still shared an onstage kiss, so sparks would definitely begin to fly. After that, we'd start dating and move in together after we graduated."

"You've got it all figured out, huh?"

"You betcha!" Louis responded. "Look, what I'm trying to say is; I reckon we're a couple of star crossed lovers. So no matter what timeline we're in, we'll always find each other."

 _God. He's so cute._ Clementine thought, almost reduced to tears by his touching sentiment. She cradled his face with both hands and pulled him closer, kissing him on the lips. "I'm glad I found you."

"Me too." He whispered. "You're my ray of sunshine."

The young woman released him and quickly cleared her throat, hoping to transition into the next topic with marginal fluidity. "Right, mister. Now it's your turn. Did you have any dreams last night?" She quizzed, flipping his question and putting the spotlight on him.

"Sure did. Although mine's not as good as yours." Louis stated, whilst his eyes drifted away. Apparently a large damp spot on the wall was far more interesting to look at.

"Oh hush. Don't be shy. Spill."

"Fine." He admitted defeat. Her boyfriend then hesitated for what felt like an eternity, before finally revealing his treasured secret. "I dreamt that... We had a kid." Louis touched her stomach, felt for something that was not there. "It was so real."

Surprised, while also intrigued, Clementine engaged him further by popping an important question. "Boy or girl?"

"Girl. She was the spitting image of you. She had your eyes, your smile, your hair." He explained, his stare wistful, yet distant and unfocused. "She had my freckles, though."

"What did we call her?" She asked. Surely her dream counterpart hadn't picked anything too absurd.

Right?

"...Peaches." Louis revealed.

Clementine choked on her spit. "Peaches?! What kind of a name is that?"

"I don't know!" The young man cried, equally baffled by their bizarre choice. "Guess we wanted to stick with the fruit theme."

She couldn't stop giggling. "That's hilarious."

"You can say that again." He chuckled. However, his laughter died prematurely, whilst his hand continued to roam her flat stomach. "You're not actually pregnant... Are you?"

"No. I think I'd know if I was. Especially since it's been a long time since we've done... Well, this." She answered, and pointed to their scattered clothes.

"Right, right. Dumb question." He mumbled, shaking his head at his own foolishness. "But do you think we could have a kid someday?"

Her mild expression morphed into a frown. "We already have a kid. We've got AJ."

"You know what I mean. Another sprout, to keep the little guy company."

Clementine paused, in order to provide a thoughtful response. However, Louis seemed unnerved by her silence, and began to back pedal. "Sorry- that was another dumb question. Forget I said anything." He said, panic overwhelming his features.

"No, no, it's fine!" She reassured him. "I just... I don't think it's fair to bring a baby into this world. I look at AJ now, and I wonder... Would he have been better off if he was never born? I'm not the best caretaker. Sometimes I feel like I've failed him. I don't want to repeat my mistakes with another child. Would we even be able to manage? We're struggling enough as it is with just three of us. A baby would be an extra mouth to feed, and our living situation is, well, to put it simply; utter shit. But this family unit that we've got- that we've _made_ , it's good. I don't want that to change."

His shoulders sagged, failing to hide his disappointment. "You could've just said no. This was all purely hypothetical." He commented, attempting to portray himself as cool headed and unfazed.

"It's a not now, Louis." Clementine said, her voice gentle, soothing. "If things start to get better in the next couple of years, then... I'd love to have a kid with you."

His face lit up with sheer delight. "Well then, in the meantime, we should start coming up with some better names." Louis quipped.

"Anything is better than Peaches."

Her boyfriend sported a devilish grin. She was convinced that two small red horns would start protruding from his scalp. "Even Louis Jr?"

"Even Louis Jr." She confirmed, despite being unable to maintain her poker face. He was far too amusing. She wiped away her stupid smirk, and climbed out of the bathtub. "Come on, lazy bones, let's go. We've got a busy day."

"Yes, ma'am." He groaned, and unwillingly followed her lead. He adjusted his messy, ruffled shirt and buttoned it up to the collar, before slipping his coat on, along with his red scarf. "AJ's probably wondering where you disappeared to. Unless he's still asleep."

Clementine tidied her shoelaces, and gathered her belongings. "I bet he's completely passed out." She stated, her voice slightly muffled as she poked her head through her hoodie.

"In that case, I bet he's engrossed in one of his books." Louis proclaimed.

The young woman cocked an eyebrow at his sudden competitive spirit. "Really? And what are the stakes in this bet?"

"Hmm..." He pondered, brushing his coat tail aside and placing his hands on his hips. "Winner gets to have whatever's left of the rum."

"And the loser?" She questioned, whilst folding her arms.

"They have to carry the winner's backpack. All day."

"You've got yourself a deal."

The couple shook hands, and left the bathroom equally confident. However, her boyfriend's overall mood crashed and burned when they found AJ snuggled up in bed, his mind locked in dreamland.

Clementine turned to Louis, amber eyes blazing with glorious victory. "Pay up, sucker."

* * *

His girlfriend was too nice. She realised that he was carrying more luggage than he could manage as soon as they left the convenient store. After all, his own backpack and salvaged guitar were quite heavy. And so, like a benevolent, gracious, perfect angel, she had lifted the burden which was her bag. The humiliation of losing the bet was punishment enough.

But she still got to keep the rum. Such a loss weighed heavily on his soul. Even now, his tongue swirled around his mouth, searching for remnants of that sweet nectar, to tantalise his tastebuds. Alas, it was a fruitless effort, for the passage of time, as well as saliva, had washed away that irresistible flavour.

Perhaps one day, he would be able to indulge in another alcoholic beverage. Until then, all he had was his cherished memories.

 _Stupid bet. Should've come up with a different reward._ The young man chastised himself.

Louis brushed that thought aside, and hummed a pleasant tune as he browsed the shelves, his eyes skimming over the dust peppered cuddly, stuffed animals. He was in charge of running interference and keeping AJ distracted, whilst Clementine searched the abandoned toy store for a suitable birthday present.

_Can't believe he's going to be hitting double digits soon. I remember when he was just a tot. Feels like yesterday._

Louis stepped over a broken train set, and approached an elaborate display, which featured a variety of water pistols - all different colours, shapes and sizes. Created in an era where water could be easily gathered from a tap or garden hose and haphazardly wasted. _My mum got me a super soaker for Christmas one year. I barely even used it._

His nose wrinkled and his brow creased into a frown. Louis had seen a number of exciting products upon entering this shop. Inflatable pools, bouncy castles, trampolines - all packaged and ready to be set up. There were also doll houses, barbies, scooters, skateboards, car tracks, action figures - the list was endless. This was a utopia, filled to the brim with any child's wildest dreams. So many toys left behind. So many toys waiting to be played with. So many relics from the old world.

"Hey, Louis!" AJ cried, snapping the older boy out of his trance.

Louis spun on his heels and saw AJ barrelling towards him. "Hello sir, how may I help you today?" He asked, greeting him with a smile and performing his best customer service voice.

Winded, but amused, Alvin Junior giggled at his antics, before presenting him with a major discovery. "Check it out! I found this backpack. It's way bigger than mine, and it's in pretty good shape too!"

"Whoa!" He shouted, his jaw dropping in amazement. "It even has the Ninja Turtles on it!" He then added, bubbling with genuine enthusiasm, as he pointed at the four cartoon characters, which were printed on the bag's surface.

"The Ninja who?" AJ questioned, perplexed by his observation.

He let out a dramatic gasp. "You've never heard of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?"

"No." The boy answered, his gaze shifting to the floor. He was evidently bashful about not being in the loop. However, he did maintain suspicion. "Are you making this up?"

"Of course not! The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are real and they were a cultural icon!" Louis stated, his heart sinking in his chest. "What on earth has Clem been teaching you?!"

Clementine's head popped up from behind a shelf to their far right, almost as if she had been summoned. "Oh sorry, teaching him how to use a gun was much higher on my to-do list than the _Ninja Turtles._ " She remarked, giving him a sassy look.

"They still should've been a top priority!" He protested.

"Wow, you're really passionate about this." His girlfriend mused. "I didn't think your parents would even let you watch that show."

Louis tilted his head in mild confusion. "What did you think they were making me watch?"

Her shoulders bounced as she shrugged. "I don't know. British television. Soaps and dramas."

"Contrary to popular belief, fun was allowed in my house." He said, a laugh sprinkled into his sentence. "I used to watch reruns of the 80s cartoon with Geoff. I liked to pretend that he was the secret fifth member."

"What colour would his mask be?" Clementine asked.

 _Always posing the most important questions._ Louis mused. "Yellow." He answered without hesitation.

"You're only saying that because it's my favourite colour."

"Hey, that's pure coincidence. Not everything revolves around you, Clem."

She did a hard eye roll, but failed to hide her smile.

"I'm so lost." AJ mumbled.

Louis redirected his attention to the young boy, who was in dire need of educating. "It's really simple to understand. See, there were these comics, that featured some turtles, who were exposed to this stuff called 'mutagen', which transformed them into, like, humanoid creatures. And then they were trained in the art of ninjutsu by this big, intelligent rat. Hence, Ninja Turtles." He explained. "And then the comics were adapted into a cartoon series, which had a badass theme song."

"Please don't start singing it. I don't want to get that song stuck in my head." Clementine begged. This only fuelled his desire, and sealed her fate.

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Heroes in a half-shell

Turtle power!"

"Oh my god." His girlfriend groaned in dismay.

"They're the world's most fearsome fighting team

They're heroes in a half-shell and they're green

When the evil Shredder attacks

These Turtle boys don't cut him no slack!"

"Louis, _please_. I yield." Clementine said, life draining from her voice. Her pleas fell on deaf ears.

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Splinter taught them to be ninja teens

Leonardo leads, Donatello does machines

Raphael is cool but rude

Michelangelo is a party dude!" Louis cut himself off there, but made sure to point out each character individually when he called out their name.

"Sweet mercy." She rejoiced, her gaze turning to the heavens, since her prayers had been answered.

"My favourite was Mikey." He stated.

"Why am I not surprised?" Clementine scoffed. By all accounts, his fondness for the free-spirited, relaxed, goofy, mischievous jokester was relatively predictable.

"Who was yours?"

She scowled, but that expression vanished swiftly and was replaced by a shy, reluctant smile. "Leo."

_I knew it!_

"I like the red one." AJ said, tracing his finger across the artwork.

"Raph." Louis reminded him.

"He looks cool."

"That's because he is! It says so in the lyrics. They also called him rude, which- come on, that's a little harsh. I mean, sure, he was the 'tough guy' and always spouted blunt one-liners, but I think he was just misunderstood."

Clementine pushed arts and crafts boxes aside and leaned over the shelf. "Psst, AJ, if you want me to save you from Lou's reign of terror, blink three times." She whispered.

"Hey, AJ is perfectly happy, thank you very much. If you don't have anything nice to say, then you can go stand in the corner." Louis interjected, adopting a stern, yet playful look, and pointing to the checkout tills.

"Fine. Suit yourselves. I'm going to get back to work." His girlfriend heaved a defeated sigh and crouched down, disappearing from view.

Now that Clementine the brooding, secret mega fan was gone, he was free to speak about his hyper-fixation without further distribution. "Now, do you have any questions?"

"Umm... Yes. Can I start using this backpack instead of my old one?" AJ requested with an innocent smile.

Louis laughed. "Sure, buddy, just make sure you don't leave anything behind."

AJ shrugged off his old backpack, and was about to start unpacking, when something popped into his head. "Oh! I almost forgot. Could you help me reach something? It's on a super high shelf."

"Of course, sir. Lead the way." He replied, slipping into his best customer service voice once again. The young boy giggled at his antics, before guiding him through the winding maze. This labyrinth eventually spat the duo out at the very back of the store, where AJ's prize awaited. While other toys had been bleached by sunlight, these treasures stayed hidden amongst the shadows, retained their bright, beautiful colours, and were near enough perfectly preserved.

"So which toy do you want me to get down?" Louis asked, whilst briefly scanning the top shelf.

"The octopus, please." AJ answered, remembering to use his manners. He gestured to the object of his desire, which was nestled between a grinning dolphin and hungry shark.

"Good choice!" He commented, admiring the orange, eight-legged creature. With a grunt of effort, he stretched upwards and pinched a stray tentacle. After a tiny tug, the octopus fell into his grasp. "Here you go, little dude." He said, lightly tossing it to the wide-eyed child.

"Thanks Louis, you're the best!" AJ cheered, and snuggled the octopus against his chest. "I wish I was as tall as you."

"You will be someday. All you need is a bit of patience." Louis stated, patting him gently on the head. "You know, Clem tells me that you've already got her beat. She was much shorter than you at your age."

The young boy's gaze became unfocused and his face scrunched up, as he tried to picture Clementine in her youth. "Really?"

"Really." He confirmed. "You'll catch up to her in no time, just wait and see."

"I want to be a giant. As big as a house! Then I can crush walkers with my fists."

Louis cocked his head. The image of a fifty foot tall AJ, with hands the size of boulders, pulverising the undead and leaving behind nothing but flattened remains and red mist, was both incredible and terrifying. "Is that so? Well then, the only way to get that big and strong, is to keep being your awesome self."

"I'll do my best!" AJ cried, his lips parting and revealing a toothy, gleeful smile.

Louis couldn't help but wonder if lack of food had stunted AJ's growth. Would he never reach his full potential? It was a concern that he and Clementine shared.

He shook his head. This wasn't the time or place to be thinking about that. He and AJ were actually talking about something FUN for a change. It was important to enjoy every single second.

"Anyway... Here's the moment of truth." Louis rubbed his hands together eagerly. "What are you going to call this little guy?" He questioned, nudging the octopus, which AJ held onto ever so tightly.

The young boy nuzzled his new friend, and mumbled his answer into its plush body. "I was thinking about naming him Olly."

"Olly the Octopus. I like that." He nodded approvingly, and gave him a solid thumbs up. "Nice alliteration."

"Alliteration?" AJ parroted, his brow creasing at that alien word.

"Come on, AJ, you remember what that means. It's when...?"

He thought for a moment, before the puzzle pieces clicked together. "...Two or more words in a sentence begin with the same letter."

"Good job. Bang on the money." Louis complimented. "Was there a reason you chose Olly?"

AJ shone more intensely than the sun. "Yeah! I saw a picture of an octopus in one of my brochures and... I just fell in love with them. I mean, how could you not? They have eight arms! That's so many hugs!"

Louis was visibly confused by this sudden high dose of information. "Wait, wait, wait, slow down... You have a brochure about octopuses?"

"Nope. It's a leaflet for this thing called an aquarium. Clem says it was a place where people would put fish and deep sea creatures on display." He explained.

"Ohhh, I get it now."

There was a brief pause, before AJ glanced down at Olly and stared directly into his small, beady eyes. "I want to know more about you." He whispered, his wistful sentence followed by a sad pout.

Louis felt a pang rupture through his chest, as his heart sank to the floor. AJ had missed out on a proper education. Maybe if the world was normal, he could have gone on a school trip to an aquarium - seen a real, living, breathing octopus.

A memory blossomed from the depths of his mind. A little random fun fact that he thought had been long forgotten. "Hey, did you know octopuses have three hearts?"

AJ's eyes sparkled at such a revelation. "Wow... That's like, you, me and Clem combined. What do they need so many hearts for?"

"They've got a lot of love to give." Louis joked, which earned a giggle from his star pupil. "I don't actually know, but umm... Did you know, when an octopus is in serious danger, it'll shed a tentacle to escape?"

"Like a lizard! They do the same thing, but with their tails!" He chimed in, bursting with excitement.

"That's right! An octopus can also regenerate its lost tentacle once it reaches safety."

"How do you know all this?" AJ questioned.

"Read it in a textbook once." Louis answered. _It was the least boring part, I skimmed over everything else._

"Tell me more, tell me more!" The young boy chanted, yearning to hear more glorious facts about his favourite animal.

"Sorry, buddy, that's all I've got."

"Oh..." He murmured, whilst his shoulders sagged.

Sympathy became woven throughout Louis' expression. He crouched down and tapped AJ's chin with his index finger, encouraging his companion to make eye contact. "Tell you what, there's a hell of a lot more junk rolling around inside my head. How about I try and remember a random fact, and tell you a new one everyday?"

AJ perked up immediately at his suggestion. "I'd like that."

"Then it's settled. I'll get my thinking cap on." Louis responded, rising to his full height and adjusting his invisible hat.

"Great! I can't wait until tomorrow!" The young boy beamed, bouncing like a kangaroo.

"Come on then, kiddo, let's get back to your new backpack. I still need to get you up to speed on the Ninja Turtles lore."

The duo travelled back through the maze of aisles towards their previous destination. AJ took the lead once again, whilst Louis shuffled along, lost in his own thoughts. _Shit... A new fun fact every day? Louis, you idiot, what were you thinking?_ He cursed himself for being so stupid.

His gaze shifted to AJ's worn backpack, and the books protruding from the zipper. _I wonder how many times he's reread some of those... Wait a second-_

An imaginary lightbulb flickered above Louis' head. "You go on ahead, bud, I'm just gonna have a quick chat with Clem." He informed AJ, and gestured at her general direction with his thumb.

AJ squeezed Olly and nodded. "Okay. I'll start loading up my new backpack."

"I won't be long."

They parted ways, with AJ retracing his steps, whilst Louis scurried off to find Clementine. She wasn't particularly hard to locate, since her soft humming of the Ninja Turtles theme soon gained his attention.

His girlfriend was knelt on the tiled floor, rummaging through multicoloured card paper, broken chalk and drawing stencils. He waited a few seconds, to see if she would notice his presence. When it was evidently clear that she was lost in her own little world, he cleared his throat and exchanged a short greeting. "Hey."

Clementine almost jumped out of her skin and sharply whirled around. "Jesus Christ, don't sneak up on me like that!"

"But... I didn't." Louis replied, eyeing her suspiciously. "Was someone away with the fairies?" A devious smirk accompanied his question.

"Psssh, no." She scoffed, climbing to her feet and brushing chalk dust off her hands.

"How's the search going? Did you find AJ a good present yet?"

"Not so loud." She warned. She then did a quick sweep of the area, to ensure that AJ wasn't eavesdropping.

"Oh sorry." He apologised. "How's the search going? Did you find AJ a good present yet?" He repeated, only this time in a whisper.

Clementine rolled her eyes and ignored his lowbrow humour. "Well, I found a notepad, thought maybe he'd like to get back into drawing. Problem is, I can't find any coloured pencils, just felt tip pens, but they're all dried out." She elaborated, cradling her hips and scowling at the chaotic mess. "Speaking of AJ... What are you even doing here? Aren't you supposed to be distracting him?"

"I am!" Louis protested. "Or- I was- doesn't matter. Point is, I had an idea."

She folded her arms. "Go on."

"I saw a bookstore further down the street. I was thinking I could pop inside and get him some new reading material." He explained. "Maybe get a little something for you as well." He added, a spark of flirtatiousness igniting between them, as his finger stroked her cheek and flicked stray hairs from her amber eyes.

Clementine quivered at his touch, but swiftly regained her stone cold persona. "Sounds like a good plan to me."

"Glad we're in agreement, Captain."

"Alright, scoot. Go grab some books and hurry back." She ordered, keen on returning to her search.

"Don't I get a kiss before I go?" Louis asked, puppy dog eyes in full affect.

His girlfriend clicked her tongue, but failed to hide her smile. She then leaned closer and gave his cheek a delicate peck. "There. Happy?"

The spot she kissed radiated with heat and his face flushed bright red. "Ecstatic."

"Okay, now seriously. Vamoose! Disappear!" Clementine urged him to leave, practically chasing him out of the shop.

"I'll bring you the best romantic novel I can find, my precious flower." Louis called to her, as he retreated to the exit. "Parting is such sweet sorrow."

He heard her unmistakable pleasant laughter, but she disguised it with a deliberate cough. He waited patiently, but she refused to engage him any further. _Disappointing. But fair._ He mused. They both knew that the only way to get him to shut up, was through boredom.

Louis ventured out onto the streets, whistling 'Oh My Darling, Clementine' to himself, hoping that his girlfriend would hear his delightful tune. However, he was stopped in his tracks by AJ, who rushed over and tugged at his coat sleeve. "Hey Louis, where are you going?"

"I'm on a top secret mission for Clem."

"Can I come?" The young boy requested.

"Sorry, but I work alone." He stated, wishing that he owned some cool sunglasses for an occasion just like this.

"Oh, okay then." AJ replied, unfazed by his strange, wacky behaviour. "I know you and Clem are trying to find a birthday present for me."

"What?! Nooooo." Louis shook his head furiously.

"It's okay, I'll keep pretending not to notice." He said, sporting a cheeky grin.

The young man wore a non-serious frown. "Yeah, well, make sure you do. It's supposed to be a surprise."

"Before you go on your top secret mission, would you mind looking after Olly for me? My new backpack is starting to get a little full." The young boy requested.

"Sure, kiddo. I'll protect him with my life."

AJ held out the cuddly octopus, and Louis took it. He then shrugged off his bag and carefully pushed it inside. He also left a small gap in the zipper so that Olly could breathe.

"Thanks. See you later!" He said, running off to explore every nook and cranny of the toy store.

"Have fun! And stay safe!" Louis shouted, but AJ was already long gone.

With no more excuses to hang around, the young man adjusted his guitar strap, twirled Chairles Junior, and began the short trek to the bookstore.

During his leisurely walk, Louis wracked his brain and managed to scrape together a week's worth of fun facts. He even started scribbling some in the margins of his old sheet music, lest he forget. The majority were accompanied by silly doodles. _Should I tell AJ about how herrings communicate through farts tomorrow, or should I save it for later?_ He internally debated, rubbing his pen against his chin. _I can't wait to see the look on Clem's face when she finds out. She's going to hate me._

After popping his thought bubble, he tucked the crumpled paper into his pocket and titled his head up, in order to study the overcast sky. Murky, grey clouds, tinted with navy blue, rolled across the heavens, cloaking Opal Creek in shadows. Rain would surely follow. _Haven't had much luck with the weather lately._

Louis returned his gaze to his immediate vicinity, yearning to appreciate the beauty that could be found in this tiny, remote town. He admired the cafes and restaurants, and imagined what they were like in their prime. _I would've loved to have treated Clementine to coffee. Or a fancy candlelit dinner. Our date nights have been pretty lame recently._

He was halfway down the desolate street, when an abandoned jewellery store made him pause. His dark eyes flickered from the shattered windows, to the empty display cases, before settling on a poster pinned to the far wall. It was torn at the corners, and the ink had faded, but the image was still visible. An engagement ring, crusted with diamonds. Ten percent off. _Daylight robbery._ Louis scoffed.

He reached into his pocket, and retrieved a small black case, decorated with silver painted floral patterns. He briefly hesitated, before lifting the lid. Within the velvet interior sat two rings. One was a simple, yet elegant gold wedding ring. The other was a gold engagement ring, it's entire surface wrapped in jewels, with a large round diamond as the centre piece - perfectly cut and icy clear.

His mother's rings.

After the divorce was finalised, she discreetly packed her bags and left, her rings placed on the mantelpiece. Louis had claimed them as his own. At first, they served as a reminder of his magnificent scheme. Once the guilt settled in, he kept them as a memento of the damage he had wrought. They helped him strive to improve himself. To be better than the home-wrecking, petulant, immature child he once was.

He had tried to propose to Clementine twice now, with zero success. First time they were rudely interrupted by that damn fox. Second time he chickened out. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

Maybe he was just unlucky. Or perhaps the universe was doing everything in its power to stop him. But its intent wasn't malicious. It came from a place of caring, to save him from embarrassment and heartache.

Maybe it was a sign. Maybe they simply weren't meant to be together.

Louis slammed the case shut and tucked it back into his pocket. He pressed onwards, only to find a bridal shop opposite the bookstore, with a wedding dress still in the front window. That frosty white gown had been chewed to pieces by moths, leaving the skirt shredded and the bodice slipping off the model.

What would marriage mean to them?

There wouldn't be a ceremony. There wouldn't be a reception. There wouldn't be any guests, nor a church, or a priest. She wouldn't wear a dress, nor would he wear a tuxedo. No one would play the organ. No one would walk down the aisle.

But they didn't need those things. All they needed was each other.

Louis pictured Clementine wearing his mother's rings. Fantasied about the personal vows they would write. The speech AJ would bumble his way through.

The way her lips would taste when she said "I do."

_I know marriage doesn't mean what it used to, but... I'd be honoured to call you my wife, Clem._

_Next time we get a minute alone together, I'm proposing. No matter what happens._

Content with his new resolve, Louis crossed the street and entered the bookstore. A bell chimed above his head when he pushed the door open, but no employees came rushing to his aid. No one greeted him from behind the counter. But no walkers were drawn to the noise either. _Thank goodness._

At least the shelves were still decently stacked, to compensate for the lack of people. Louis immediately jogged over to the non-fiction aisle and shoved a few books on finance into his bag. _These will be good for tinder._

Once the essentials were dealt with, he began to browse more carefully. His journey soon led him to the children's section. He studied the spines, before selecting Peter Pan, The BFG, and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. After that he collected two large fact books, one on deep sea creatures, the other on dinosaurs. _I think AJ will love these. Then again, who doesn't love reading about the prehistoric era?_

Finally, he concluded his search by eyeing up the romantic novels. He heavily debated with himself for a while, unsure what the best choice would be. The Princess Bride seemed like the safest bet, so into the bag it went.

Feeling immensely satisfied, Louis walked towards the door with his head held high. But something caught his eye, and almost made him trip over his own feet. "No way." He gawked, rushing over to the small collection of comic books stashed away in the far corner.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The holy grail.

This was fate. The stars had aligned. "I can't wait to read these with AJ!" He said aloud, slipping the issue into his overstuffed bag. _And if he doesn't like it, then I'll keep it all for myself!_

Only then did he see the blood trail.

A dark maroon smear stretched across the carpet, leading towards the supply closet. How could he have missed something so obvious? It looked like he had traipsed through it multiple times. Was his tunnel vision actually that powerful?

With a trembling hand, Louis retrieved the emergency flashlight, and dual wielded it with Chairles Junior. He slowly approached the door and it kicked it open.

A ghastly sight awaited him. However, the putrid stench hit him first and prodded his gag reflex. It was far worse than the walker they discovered a day prior.

The flashlight beam illuminated a body, hidden amongst the bleach stacked shelves, mops and brushes, slumped up against the wall. Flies buzzed around the corpse, and maggots festered in its empty eye sockets. The cause of death was a bullet to the head. Suicide - judging by the gun pressed between his cold, dead fingers.

Louis checked the gun, but the clip was empty. Typical.

The strangest part was... Both of his legs had been shot. And even stranger, was the message scrawled on the wall in his own blood.

_I'm not a pawn._

"This... This is fucked." Louis whispered, barely able to string a sentence together. "I think we've done enough shopping today."

He charged out of the bookstore and ran back up the street. The area was quiet. Too quiet. He wasn't even sure why he was rushing around like a madman. But something about this entire situation felt _wrong_.

The toy store was deserted when he returned. A heavy, suffocating silence hung in the air, punctuated by his own footsteps and laboured breathing. His heartbeat pulsed in his ears and his stomach flipped as he carefully ventured towards Clementine's last known location.

Multicoloured card paper. Broken chalk. Drawing stencils. Everything was still present except for her. Louis swallowed hard to combat the lump in his throat. Sweat dripped from his palms as his grip on Chairles Junior tightened, until splinters started to pierce his skin.

"Where are you?" He uttered in the ghost of a whisper. His voice was trembling with a mixture of adrenaline and terror.

Gunfire rang out in the distance, causing Louis to jolt. If he hadn't soiled his trousers already, then he had now. It sounded like AJ's gun. But what could he be fighting?

Louis chewed on his lip, before giving into temptation and shouting their names. "Clem?! AJ?!"

No response. His own voice echoing and bouncing off the walls was his only company.

He reached for his gun and plucked it from his waistband. He knew it was empty, but maybe he could flub that he had ammo and buy them some time. But only if their enemy was human.

He began checking his corners. He did a quick sweep of every shelf he passed. But when he reached the water pistol display, the entire world slowed to a painful crawl.

A man stepped out from behind a shelf decorated with mammoth sized teddy bears. He was caucasian, with a scratchy beard and scruffy brown hair, which was partially hidden under a dirty, worn, blue hat. His hazel eyes burned with a ferocious bloodlust as he sported a wicked smile.

The stranger had Clementine. The barrel of his gun was pressed into her temple, and his arm was wrapped around her neck in a tight choke hold. She let out a cry, but it was smothered by the hand clamped over her mouth.

"Hey there, music maestro." The man greeted with a wave from his gun toting hand. "Sorry we couldn't attend your performance the other day. Your girlfriend here was being awfully rude."

Louis glanced down at the man's feet. Military grade boots, caked in dry mud.

Clementine's captor let out a throaty chuckle. "Aw look, he's starting to piece it together." He commented, speaking those words directly into her ear. "You eyeing up my shoes there, pal? Nice aren't they? Got them during a trade."

_Oh god… Clem, you were right. You're always right. I should've listened to you._

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" The stranger asked. "It ain't polite to ignore people. Do you even know how hard it is to sneak up on you three? I was this close to giving up!" He pinched his index finger and thumb together to demonstrate. "But it was only a matter of time before you got sloppy."

Louis gritted his teeth, seething with rage as he aimed his gun at the stranger. He would give anything to blow his brains out for laying a finger on Clementine.

The man just tutted at his threat. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Not unless you want to see her head explode."

Clementine managed to shake loose of her captor's grip and shout a desperate plea. "Louis, run!"

The man rolled his eyes, before thrusting his knee into her stomach. She yelped and almost keeled over, but was forced to remain standing. "Hush. Can't you see we're talking?"

"Leave her alone." Louis growled, frothing at the mouth, his anger reaching boiling point.

"Oh, so you do speak!" The stranger remarked. This psycho seemed to find the whole situation oddly thrilling, judging by the grin that remained plastered on his face. "I won't harm a pretty hair on her head. As long as you lay down your weapons and come quietly."

"Then where's AJ?" He questioned. "I'm not going anywhere with you until you tell me what you've done with him. Is he-"

 _Dead?_ That word tasted like bile. _No, he can't be dead. There's no way. I saw him earlier. We talked about octopuses and Ninja Turtles._ "-Is he safe?"

"What, the kid? He's fine." The man answered. "Sort of. He escaped. But my buddy is hunting him down. Sounds like they're having a fun time. But I'm sure they'll be back soon."

_So that's what he meant by 'we'..._

"Now, why don't you do yourself and your girlfriend a huge favour and knock off the bullshit?"

"Louis, don't you fucking do it, I swear to god-"

Another quick jab to the stomach silenced Clementine. Severely winded, she clutched her chest and gasped for air. "You're really testing my fucking patience, little lady." The man snarled.

"Alright, alright." Louis conceded, dumping his gun, bag, guitar and Chairles Junior by his feet, before kicking his weapons across the floor.

"No..." His girlfriend wheezed, tears pricking her amber eyes.

The stranger's posture relaxed as he laughed maniacally. "You're dumber than you look. Did you actually think I was going to kill her?" He taunted. "Priceless."

That's when Clementine retrieved the switchblade from her boot, and stabbed her captor in the leg. The man screamed and immediately released his grip. However, before she could strike again, he knocked her to the ground with a hard smack. Her hat went flying, as she collided with a shelf and narrowly missed cracking her skull open. "You stupid bitch!" The man spat.

Louis didn't think. He simply reacted. He charged the man like a crazed bull, brandishing a letter opener. He tackled Clementine's assailant, and wrestled with him in an odd, clumsy dance. One hand attempted to yank the gun away, the other caught in the stranger's tight grasp, preventing him from striking.

His blade was so close to the man's neck. He just had to push a little further. Soon, this crazy lunatic's blood would paint the floor, and then everything would be-

The gun fired.

The two men stopped. For a fleeting moment, neither could figure out who had been hit.

Blood started to blossom under Louis' shirt. In mere seconds, the entire right side of his waist was stained with crimson. He stared at the wound in disbelief, his brain unable to process this strange, unfathomable reality, until his legs buckled and he collapsed against the water pistol display.

"For fuck's sake..." The man muttered. He sounded irritated. Annoyed. Like he had just found a fly in his soup.

"LOUIS!" Clementine screamed, and rushed to his aid. She knelt down in front of him and pressed her hands against the gaping wound. "You're okay, you're okay, you're okay, you're okay." She said, trying to convince herself more than him.

 _Oh god. Is this real? Am I dying?_ He questioned. The cold numbness travelling up his arms served as an unpleasant answer. _No… That's not fair. All those fun facts for AJ… I'll never get to tell him about them. I even forgot to write down the one about how giraffes can lick their own ears._

Louis coughed. His mouth tasted like copper. "Clem..." He croaked, using every ounce of his strength to lift his hand, and brush a few stray locks out of her twinkling amber eyes.

She was so beautiful.

"You should run, while you have the chance." He urged. He couldn't see where their attacker was, but he knew that sick, twisted man was still watching. Still enjoying this.

"No, no I can't." She protested, her voice breaking on each syllable. "I can't leave you. I can't let you die."

"Then… Would you give this to AJ?" He instructed, pulling the crumpled sheet music out of his pocket, and shakily presenting it to her. The paper was stained with blood. He had smudged some on Clementine's face earlier too. _Fuck… I'm getting it everywhere. I'm so sorry, Clem._

"Is it a song you wrote for him?" She asked, accepting the odd gift.

He shook his head. "No… Just a silly list I made... But he'll know what to do with it."

_Why do I always think about the dumbest shit? Come on, Louis, focus. The rings, remember? You have to… You have to tell her now, before it's too late._

"I... I wanted to ask you... The stupidest question ever." He chuckled lightly, but even that was akin to being poked with a hot iron rod.

"You can ask me later." She replied. "I'm going to fix you up. You're going to be okay. You'll see."

Louis cradled her cheek and wiped away her tears with his thumb, only for more to cascade down onto his limp body.

"I'd like to ask you now." He whispered.

"What... What did you want to ask me?"

"I..."

"Alright, shows over, lovebirds. Let's go." The man interrupted, grabbing Clementine's arm and hoisting her up.

"GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!" She shouted, struggling to escape his clutches.

"Not gonna happen." Her captor rebutted.

"LOUIS! LOUIS, NO!" She cried, reaching out to him with her free hand.

"Clem..." Louis tried to call her name, but the words only just barely passed his lips. He reached out to touch her hand, but she was ripped away, carted out of the store. "No... no..." He whimpered, falling flat onto his chest.

Stars rocketed across his vision due to the impact, as his nerves exploded in pain. Darkness followed, a creeping, monstrous void that came to claim his sight. The last thing he saw before the life drained from his eyes was Clementine.

His darling, Clementine.


End file.
